Whos lost someone close to you in the trade?

[tree md]

Not meaning to be so morbid but I was thinking of the old crews I ran with, ground men and climbers who I used to work with and realized that most of them are dead now. One of my ground men (and ex's stepfather) died of ecoli about 6 years ago. He was a hell of a worker. Worked circles around guys half his age. Another ground man drowned in his own vomit (like Jimmy Hendrix) after passing out on pills and whiskey. One of my mentors (who first taught me crane work) died in a crane accident. Another climber that I worked with quite frequently got electrocuted when he cut into a tree that was on a hot wire that he didn't think was live while doing storm work. Another climber I worked and ran with a lot (ex's brother) shot himself and committed suicide. He had 10 kids. Just kind of thinking about the old crew I worked with many moons ago and am surprised to think that I am nearly the sole survivor.

Ever lost anyone close to you in the trade?

 

[TimberMcPherson]

Not me but my trainee lost his dad in a felling accident.

 

[groundsmgr]

My mentor died while I was working for him. He had a stroke. About a week before he pulled me aside and saw the industry changing that campanies were offering more than just tree work and wanted to know if I wanted to start running a seperated division in his company dealing more in property managment full service.
After he died his nephew and the owners wife ran the company. I left because of the nephew. He hated people who knew more than him, and was a lazy prick. I hated to leave but i became a hostal enviroment.
I still miss him. He helped me out to finish my degree in urban tree management. :chainsawguy:

 

[StihlRockin']

One of my sub-contractors died in a house fire. One died from a heart attack. One died from heart/lung problems that created a heart attack. Another one died from an overdose of drugs and another,(friend) very close one...

... died from drugs and heavy drinking, but he's still alive. The walking dead.

StihlRockin'

 

[TreeClimber57]

I have. But none on the job, fortunately! I did know of one who was killed on the job about 50 miles from here maybe 25 years ago, but was not a close friend. The ones I knew in the trade were illness related mostly, but still tough to loose a friend..

 

[booboo]

Fellow climbers/arborists...no. 2 loggers that I'd met a few times. Both killed in the woods by falling trees.

Much closer to home, 2 very close friends were killed kayaking class 5 whitewater in 5 years. I used to paddle quite a bit of class 5, now my limit is pretty much class 4+ unless I'm really feeling on my game. I've got 2 young kids to think about now and haven't paddled all that much in the past couple of years anyway. Memorial services for friends are very hard and mess with your head for a long time.

Kind of feels like bad karma talking/writing about it but that's the reality of what we do for work and fun.

to their memories.

 

[tomtrees58]

man your doom and glum just kidding we are getting old if you make 34 years climbing like me there's always some buddy dead tom trees

 

[tree md]

Yeah a little gloomy I guess. Was just thinking of old friends.

The kid that killed himself with pills and booze was an orphan who came to work with me when he was 16. He started out working for my old boss and I inherited him when my boss got injured in a tree and was unable to work. He asked me to take the kid and put him to work. He came to live with me and worked with me til he was 21. He ended up getting hooked up with some chick that was about 18 years older than him and got him hooked on the pills. He hadn't worked with me for around 3 years when he died but I was still pretty tore up over that one.

Kind of sad when I think about the old crew I worked and ran with. It is amazing to me that I am the one who outlived a lot of the old gang.

 

[tomtrees58]

yes i here you was just working in the cemetery and every time i look around i new some one from school or worked for them or hung out with them tom trees

 

[TreEmergencyB]

my mentor lent his belt and rope to another climber in the same company working down the road. boss told them it didnt need climbed but guy thought he should knock out the top or whatever. Cut himselft out of the tree and died with my mentors gear on? They were pretty close too

 

[pdqdl]

We lost a climber a few years ago. Dumb mistake, nothing we could have prevented.
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I got no doom and gloom in my future. I plan on outliving all of you!

The consequence of clean living, being careful, and avoiding danger mean that I get to go to more funerals than you do. I am willing to shoulder that burden.