Excellent writeup. There’s a bloke in Ireland with a hod full of bricks that
had something similar happen. Thanks for the laughs@!!!
73 Gary W2CS
> On Dec 1, 2024, at 20:22, Bill Bennett <bennevl@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I'm writing in response to your request for additional information for
> block #3 of the Accident Report Form. I put "poor planning" as the cause of
> my accident. You said in your letter that I should explain more fully and
> I trust the following will be sufficient.
>
> I am a Amateur Radio Operator and on the day of the accident, I was working
> alone on the top of my new 80 foot tower. When I had completed my work, I
> discovered that I had, over the course of several trips up the tower,
> brought up about 300 lbs. of tools and hardware. Rather than carry the now
> unneeded tools and materials down by hand, I decided to lower them down in
> a small barrel by using a pulley, which was attached to the gin pole at the
> top of the tower.
>
> Securing the rope at ground level, I went to the top of the tower and
> loaded the tools and materials into the barrel. I climbed down to the
> ground and untied the rope, holding it tightly, to insure a slow decent of
> the 300 lbs of tools and hardware. You will note, in block #11, of my
> Insurance Plan Profile, I weigh only 155 lbs.
>
> Due to my surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my
> presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I
> proceeded at a rather rapid rate of speed up the side of the tower. In the
> vicinity of the 40 foot level, I met the barrel coming down; this explains
> my fractured skull and broken collarbone. Slowed only slightly, I continued
> my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two
> knuckles deep into the pulley.
>
> Fortunately, by this time, I had regained my presence of mind and was able
> to hang onto the rope in spite of the pain. At approximately the same time,
> however, the barrel of tools and hardware struck the ground and the bottom
> fell out of the barrel. Devoid of the weight of the contents, the barrel
> now weighed approximately 20 lbs. (I refer you to the figure of my weight
> in block#11). As you might imagine, I began a rapid decent down the side of
> the tower. In the vicinity of the 40 foot level, I met the barrel coming
> up; this accounts for the two fractured ankles and the lacerations on my
> legs and lower body.
>
> The encounter with the barrel slowed me enough to lessen my injuries when I
> fell on to the pile of tools and hardware, and fortunately only three
> vertebrae were cracked. I'm sorry to report, however, that as I lay there
> on the tools, in pain, unable to stand or move and watching the empty
> barrel 80 feet above me, I again lost my presence of mind. I let go of the
> rope.
>
> Bill K4IBC
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