Widow maker

[Shane]

Some years back, one of my guys was clearing some epicormic growth with a small saw (stihl 017 or similar) and for some perverse reason I thought the offcuts were in his way

so - thinking he had stopped for a moment - I leaned in to pull some out, I then heard the saw rev up so backed off, meanwhile the saw came round, still running.

He didn't know I was there, I shouldn't have been.

I actually felt the wind from the chain on my neck! and I felt some moisture too - a mix of sweat and chain oil.

 

I sh@t myself, though I was dead.

We had a long discussion afterwards (mostly them shouting at me) and firmed up on our definition of exclusion distances!

 

I didn't sleep properly for many days afterwards.

So stupid, so easy, so lucky.

[Tom10]

Due to their definition you might not get many answers to this one.

 

[Sam Thompson]

Nearly got my leg broken by a bouncing oak ring during a dismantle (I was grounding) over the summer. It hurt a lot.