[TowerTalk] Never Free Climb

[Roger (K8RI)]

On 8/14/2013 9:47 PM, Tom Osborne wrote:
> Roger said:
>> Harnesses were found "after the fact"
>> If a friend or partner fell, what's the first thing you'd likely do at
>> getting down?
>
> Hi Roger
>
> That is a very good question.
>
> I've taken a lot of first aid classes (we used to have to renew our First
> Aid card every 2 years), and one of the things they taught us was that if
> someone is injured bad, don't move them.  I don't think moving someone
> around to get a harness off would be a good idea.  Even if they snap from
> the front, how are  you going to get it out from under them and move it?
>
> I'd imagine if the first responders got there in time, stabilizing the guy
> would be first priority.  If someone is hurt bad, moving them might be the
> worst thing you could do.  What if they have broken bones?  I'm sure this
> guy was probably gone before they got there if he fell from 200 feet.

I agree completely.  I'd drop my harness, but all I could  do is check 
vitals with out moving them.

>
> I notice in a football game, if someone gets badly injured, the first thing
> they do is stabilize them.  They don't even take the helmet off or anything
> if the injury is bad and they are not concious.
>
> My tower is only about 30 feet, but I never go up it without being secured.
> Even at that height I get nervous.  73

I know a ham on one of the reflectors who was taking down a tower just a 
few years ago.
There was only 30 feet left when it went over with him on it.  He 
survived and many surgeries
  later will be on strong pain meds the rest of his life.

The closest call I had climbing was a friends tower many years ago. We 
had one of Michigan's big snow storms with high winds.
We haven't had one like that since the 80's.  The tower folded right 
over the top of his 2 1/2 story house.
The tower was fastened to the fascia on the West side. I gave the tower 
the "once over" and went
up to the peak with a hack saw. when the last leg was cut and the top 
part of the tower slid down the
North side of the roof and fell off.

I turned around to survey the West side of the yard when alarm bells 
started ringing in my head and I had an
unsteady feeling. My left arm swung around instinctively behind me and 
caught a large eye bolt which was
the only thing I could have caught.  That I did was pure luck even 
though I knew there was one there.
I let out a holler and two guys came over to hold the tower against the 
house so I could let go and climb down.

Two of the tower legs had rusted through, but the break had been 
camouflaged with paint.  With 3 feet
of snow the yard didn't look that bad from 25 feet, but I knew there 
were a LOT of "things" under that snow.

THAT sure was an adrenalin rush!

73

Roger (K8RI)

> Tom W7WHY
>
>
>
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