close calls are lessons learned

[John Brown]

I worked for 12yrs for a tree co. my most dramatic moment was the day I was climbing in a residential neighborhood clearing lines behind a complex.Everything was fine sun was out light wind.While in the tree I was at a safe distance from the line and using a pruner to bring the limbs below the line.Suddenly a gust of wind or downdraft blew fast and hard out of nowhere.The tree blew into the wire and my arm fell on top of the wire.The shock blew my arm off the wire and the branch on the other side that completed the circuit was charcoal and smoldering.I seen pics before of ankles blown out from this and thats the first thing I thought my body was numb and I had a wire burn under my bicep.Thank god I was thrown back from the tree away from the wire this taught me a good lessson always expect the unexpected..

 

[soutz]

Wow how lucky are you?! very scary

 

[burlman]

a few years back I was clearing roadways for a new development. nice sized hard wood, we were to fall everything on the road allowance as to not damage the future properties. got into a 20in maple cut my smiley and made my backcut a slight breeze sent the tree back and pinched my saw. waited a bit to see if it would slacken but no luck. oh well, walk down to the skidder and we'll just pus it over. I dont know what powers of stupidity took over me but the shortest distance to the machine was in my intended path of that maple. All of a sudden I heard a deep crack,( that noise still haunts me today) All that I thought was ???? I'll bet I just lost a chain saw. all of a sudden I heard my helper yell"the tree is turning" I glimpsed over my shoulder and saw miss maple chasing me with revenge on her mind. I ran sideways an dove on my belly, but the wide crown rechad out and slammed down on the back of my foot, it bounced once and I pulled my foot clear, before it came to rest right where I wanted it to if I was standing at the stump. The chain saw boot toook the worse of it, crumpled the steel shank like an acordian, I walked away with a dislocated toe and a stretched achilles heal