another lucky wannabe-Wash, DC

[treeslayer]

another lucky wannabe

This was in todays Washington Post.
I spoke with Alan Etter with the DCFD, he said the guy used a 35' aluminum ladder to get in the tree. Hired by a homeowner to clean up a tree growing over and through some power lines.
He was wearing spikes, a climbing belt and a lanyard, No rope.
He climbed up off the ladder another 20' or so, and began pruning limbs out of the High Voltage lines.

The story shows what we all know happened next.

Luckily he froze, with energized lines around him, and the FD was called. They plucked him out with an aerial ladder truck.

Luck was with this idiot.
Picture to follow.

 

[treeslayer]

DCFD report.

April 15, 2003

Truck 3 Makes Aerial Rescue!

A 58-year-old tree-pruner has Truck 3 to thank for helping him escape serious injury. The man was cutting limbs off a tree in the back yard of a residence in the 2100 block of Bunker Hill Rd., NE when one of the branches caught two power lines as it fell. One line fell into the street while the other fell into brush in the back yard, igniting leaves, grass and several trash cans.

Engine 26 was dispatched at 10:51 for the report of wires down. When they arrived, they found the yard worker trapped about 50-feet up in the tree. The man was afraid to move out of fear of coming into contact with a power line. Truck 3 (which had been transferred to the quarters of Engine 26) arrived to begin the rescue.

Lt. RG Kowalczyk ordered the aerial ladder be extended to where the man was holding onto a branch. Firefighter Jack Adams climbed the ladder and helped the man onto the ladder, and then walked him down to safety. After a quick EMS consultation, the man was found to be in good health, and there was no need for hospitalization.

Units on the Alarm: Engine 26, Truck 3, Rescue Squad 2, Medic 14, Battalion 1.

 

[treeslayer]

Picture.

 

[treeslayer]

look at the broken line.

 

[Stumper]

It appears that "tree pruner" was a misleading description, but I'm glad he is okay.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Did not exactly look like a "trim" either.

 

[murphy4trees]

When do the papers ever get the story right????
Not often in my experience...

 

[NeTree]

Nice to see he escaped his brush with Darwininan selection; but what on earth was he thinking?

Remember the thread a while back "experts, please help me cut these trees" , with the guy who asked our opinion on a tree removal near electric lines and got all ticked off cuz we told him to hire a professional? I hope wideopen sees this article and understands why we told him he wasn't anywhere near qualified.

 

[Jumper]

If the City started to initiate cost recovery against cheapskate homeowners who cause this type of situation, perhaps word would get out that the least expensive solution is not necessarily the best. In my mind, the homeowner is as much an idiot as the pruner, and endangered the lifes of both the firemen and passerby in addition to the climber.

 

[NeTree]

I'd have to agree, Jumper. The same can be said for alot of other things, too. Like backyard half-a$$ mechanics who do their own brakes, and then kill a carload of kids because they didn't do it right.

 

[Stumper]

Netree and Jumper, easy now. What about all the competant part timers and dedicated amateurs?. IMNTBHO, we do NOT need more regulation. Laws about negligence etc. already exist. More regs don't insure safety, they just mess with people's freedoms. I know a guy with licenses and certificates who violates safety protocals all the time and has fallen out of trees twice. I also know of several people who dabble in our industry with no paperwork but, who implement good safety (and pruning) practices.

Netree, I don't doubt that someone has messed up a backyard brake job and had a serious accident, but what about all the accidents that were prevented by a back yard brake pad change when the driver couldn't afford a repair bill and would have just kept driving if Uncle Bob hadn't helped them out?-The unknowable.:angel:

 

[NeTree]

Stumper, I'm referring more to those people who know they aren't competent and do stuff anyways. And I was agreeing to the latter part of Jumpers reply, "In my mind, the homeowner is as much an idiot as the pruner, and endangered the lifes of both the firemen and passerby in addition to the climber.".

 

[Tim Gardner]

With the lack of knowledge the average homeowner possesses with regard to tree work he/she was most likely led to believe the climber was competent. Or maybe they were just trying to save a buck or two. A phone call to the power company would have most likely gotten the tree trimmed or removed free of charge though.

 

[Jumper]

Ignorance of the law, or in this case ,proper hiring of someone to complete a hazardous task is no excuse in my books. This guy's age would have been the first warning sign for me. Nothing wrong with part timers and dedicted amateurs, but before I engaged someone in a like task around my house I would be asking for professional qualifications and references-trimming a small crabapple or a hedge is one thing, sending someone up a marginal looking tree 50 feet over power lines is another. I am not suggesting more regulation is the answer.

 

[Tim Gardner]

Jumper, my father is in his sixties. Are you saying that his age would tip you off that he is incompetent to take this type of job on? Maybe you are right though, he only has 30+ years experience as a climber/owner.

 

[Jumper]

I am saying someone of that age would cause me concern. It certainly would have no bearing on his capabilities as an owner, but most 58 year olds I have met are not up to this kind of work no matter what their climbing experience has been. Might talk a good story but.....On the other hand some 58 year olds can do this type of work and that is fine too. Prove it before I give you the job, which will keep us both out of the courts or worse, the funeral parlour.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Don't tell OX that, he's up in that range.

 

[treeslayer]

At the sherrills store in wmsbg va a few years ago there were pictures of a guy named "Zed" who still climbing way up at the age of 83. he looked that old, but obviously fit as he11.
I would'nt want to butt heads with him....

I don't think age is as important as how you carry yourself.

 

[mikecross23]

I saw a picture of him just recently, can't remember where, but dang that dude is amazing! Me.... 24yrs old, wake up tired and sore after some hard days, can't imagine adding 59 yrs to my life and even thinking about hiking up a tree!!!

To keep things on topic. . .
My city seems pretty helpful when power lines are involved. Home boy should have looked into it. Luckily he lived, hopefully he learned, and I'll just keep reading the injury/fatality forums and maybe keep the skin on my @ss!

-Mike-

 

[geofore]

lucky

A part of paying your electric bill goes to pay the tree trimmers to do this hazzardous work around electric lines and all homeowners should call the electric company first. They have guys who do this for a living, day in and day out. It blows me away every time I see this kind of thing when the electric company would have sent a crew out to take care of the hazzardous tree as part of their maintenance program to keep the public (homeowner) safe. What was this guy thinking?