A fall from 10 feet up the tower onto concrete can kill you, bust your
head open like a watermelon. Human body is just not designed for
falling onto hard things.
The most scared I have ever been on a tower was going down, near the
bottom, realizing that going up & working hours at the top in the sun
had left me little energy for climbing down, and I was just plain
running out of gas.
I stopped and double-looped my belt through the tower so I was held
tight to the tower, and rested with my arms hanging inside the tower,
until I felt some strength coming back. Then I got down the last 20
feet. Must have hung there for twenty minutes.
That was 30 years ago when I was lean, strong, still had hair, could
run five miles, and climb to the top of a 200 footer without stopping.
I let myself get dehydrated and just ran out of steam. A "ten minute
job" turned out to be quite more complex.
While I was hanging there, my ground helper pulled a bottle of water
up to me in the bucket. He was just about to call the FD to get me
off, no matter what I said, when I decided to come the rest of the
way. Never told my wife and swore the guy to secrecy. He was just as
scared as I was.
DON'T EVER LET YOUR GUARD DOWN ON A TOWER. NOT FOR NUTHIN, NEVER.
About climbing up or down: Use a rhythm chant of "four on the tower,
three on the tower, four on the tower, three on the tower, four on the
tower," etc. Only move one foot or one hand free at a time, ALWAYS
separated by a count with all four on the tower. ALWAYS LOOK at the
hand or foot you're moving and visually confirm its placement. NEVER
do anything else while climbing EXCEPT climbing, and that includes
talking. You're not done climbing until you're belted on, or you're
both feet on the ground.
Oh, yes, LADDERS.
Ladders are unguyed towers that you can fold up and carry around. Use
unguyed tower rules on ladders. Ladders are the most dangerous
appliance on the planet, more the dangerous because so few people have
any respect for them.
73, and may all you tower-climbers live to take your
great-grandchildren to the VEC exams.
Guy.
----- Original Message -----
From: <K7LXC@aol.com>
To: <alwilliams@olywa.net>; <Towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, April 12, 2002 5:34 PM
>
> > Here is why I am posting this accident. I was finished with the
> > off-ground part of the task and what could happen so close to
> > the ground? I must have deviated from my safety carefulness
> > long enough for the unexpected event to occur.
>
> Most mountain climbing accidents happen on the way down AFTER
hitting the
> summit. Those and your fall probably had to do with having let down
your
> guard down after the hard work is done and you're almost finished.
>
> Cheers & be careful out there,
> Steve K7LXC
|