Pine break

[Magnum783]

11 November 2006 that is a day I will never quite forget. I had a job to remove two pines from a man's backyard. One was quite green the other had some lightning damage. The lightning damage was not too severe but was present none the less. I am sure this could be viewed as a bone head move but the lightning struck pine looked as though it was strong enough to climb and drop the top. So I climbed it slowly looking and taping for dead spots I reached the height I need to removed so I wouldn't damage the near by oaks when it fell. I then tied my block and cut my notch tied my rope and had the guys take wraps on the bollard. I started the back cut made my hinge, shut the saw off let it down on my lanyard I then went to push the top over and it went just as normal. Then the section of tree I was standing on broke too. Down I went ridding a tree, it was only 40'. I suffered a broken humorous bone and broken elbow. I am still recovering and won't be able to climb till at leas February.
Any comments are appreciated.
Jared

 

[OTG BOSTON]

First of all glad you're o.k. Good to know you'll be back on the horse soon enough. How'd the piece you were standing on break? was it clean through the radius or did it split and break jagged?

 

[Gumneck]

Glad your getting better.

Diameter of tree where it broke? So you were safetied into the chunk that fell and it fell with you still tied to it?

 

[Magnum783]

The piece broke off quite jagged. That is what I have learned know is where the lightning bolt stopped. Yes, I was saftied to the pice that fell I was tree hugger that day. I rode it till it was almost on the ground then jummped off I guess (I don't rember a thing most of what I know my crew and girl have told me) Then gafted my self in the leg trying to catch myself.(8 internal stiches and 7 external) To end it all I smacked my head really hard but the old faithful hard hat prevent too much damge to the old dome. Still ended up with the broke bones. Feel free to ask as my questions you can think of.
Jared

 

[Magnum783]

Diameter 18"

 

[B-Edwards]

Very sorry to hear You got hurt. The last time i heard about an accident like your's the man died. I exploded my radial head and dislocated my elbow, OMG I never hurt like that and i got man scars to prove i been hurt before, partial amputation of foot, knee surg xs 3, foot surg, broken wrist xs 2, cracked ribs . I wish you well in recovery. I have no comment on what happened , I have fell before also ,crushed vertibra . You will play this over and over and over and over in your mind falling again and again. learn from it and travel on. Good luck

 

[Gumneck]

18" at your feet, that's pretty good sized to break. That must have sounded like a cannon going off.

I wonder if the top wasn't being rigged down if it would have broke being higher up and just flopping the very top.

My palms are sweatin just thinking about it.

 

[Magnum783]

We were going to rig it down but never got that far broke before it got any weight on the rope.
Jared

 

[TimberJack_7]

Sorry to hear about your unfortunate accident.

Would it have been possible for you to have worked from another nearby tree? I have worked in some pretty questionable trees before and when I can tie into another tree, I do so.

I went up a pignut hickory one time and put a pull rope at the top. The scariest part was that the tree kept cracking while I was up there. Needless to say, I was out of that tree ASAP.

 

[Magnum783]

No the other tree was too far away. This one looked sound that was the whole thing. I have since learned that a tree that is struck with lightning can and will regrow making it look alive and well just it will always have a rotten spot. Thus making them really dangerous. What I have learned it is best to drill them or use some sort of method to check for those rotten spots.
Jared

 

[CJ-7]

ONLY 40 feet? Man, that's a looong way down. Amazing you are able to retell your experience and we don't have to read about your demise. You are one lucky dog. I can think of a hundred ways it could have ended differently.

 

[(WLL)]

lightning trees

dont ever climb they have many internal cracks. Sharron Lilly's husband died doing the same thing. dont know if u know who he or she is but Sharron is isa certified arb. and has written many great books about tree care. glad 2 hear u are ok. lightning trees are the most dangerous trees there is and sometimes show no signs of being unsafe 2 climb but they are. never never ever climb a struck tree. i cant stress that enough. just dont do it ever!!!!

 

[JohN Dee]

Good luck with your recovery I hope it all goes well. You are indeed very lucky to be able to tell of the experience, myself I have never fallen out of a tree (touch wood) but you see/hear it all the time where many blokes have fallen to their deaths. From now on I and probably the rest of A/S hope you really need to inspect more thoroughly.

We were cutting over a 10 metre pine stump, and on impact with the ground the whole top probably about 5 feet of it completely snapped off. I'm pretty sure it was the force and weight/momentum of the fall that did it, but still scary... I was climbing on this thing.

Heres the pic, had to dig it up outta my comp P.S It was a pic from my camera phone.

 

[TreeBarber]

Magnum783, glad you are around to tell your story and thanks for doing so. How long ago do you think the tree was struck by lightning?

 

[Magnum783]

I think right around six months or so

 

[Redsquirrel]

Sorry to hear about your unfortunate accident.

Would it have been possible for you to have worked from another nearby tree? I have worked in some pretty questionable trees before and when I can tie into another tree, I do so.

I do that too. . . and then I wonder when I'm out on the questionable part, what happens if this part fails? Probably better than riding it to the ground, but I wouldn't want to be integrated into an unintentional rigging system. I wonder if it would make sense for a personal lanyard to be designed to have a safety breakaway point for such situations.

 

[JayD]

I do that too. . . and then I wonder when I'm out on the questionable part, what happens if this part fails? Probably better than riding it to the ground, but I wouldn't want to be integrated into an unintentional rigging system. I wonder if it would make sense for a personal lanyard to be designed to have a safety breakaway point for such situations.

on your personal lanyard a safety breakaway point..I think not..maybe a quick disconect..maybe you would have enough time use it.or better still rig high in a nearby tree or use an ewp

 

[CoreyTMorine]

JD, what is an EWP?

Magnum, what would you have done differently?

 

[JayD]

Hi,
A ewp, Elevated Work Platform,..cherrypicker.

 

[Magnum783]

The tree had plenty of strength for me to be in it. If i had to do it over I would just go to the top and cut firewood size logs and throw them off. That way there would be no major stress.
Jared