Aerial rescue and lowering people down.

[Rik]

We were going over aerial rescue techniques etc the other day and still it always seems to be that no matter how prepared you are, to get a climber up into the tree and attach to the injured and then back down again is gonna take a hell of a time...

 

i know the talk of 99% of the time the climber will get themselves down.. but if its too bad for that then by my reconing they may only have a couple of minutes or so to get on the ground.. no matter how much we get ready and prepared, i still an seen to get the whole operation down to less than 7 minutes... and thats with an extra line already in the tree ready.

 

im trying to come up with ways that the groundy can lower the climber down from the ground.. the best ive come up with so far is simply a sling and krab around the base of the trunk, and if need be the groundy can then just clip the rope through and lower the climber down, this does still however mean the climber has to cut his own prussik (or whatever he uses) which of course is useless if they already out cold..

 

anyone else got anything they have seen or used or any ideas at all? any thoughts welcome as always

[Dan Earp]

Ive seen a pack which had 6 1m pole u attached with a normal hook screwed on like any pole kit but it had an extra hook wielded side by side, this is so the groundie can place the hooks over the prussic etc and lower the climber down. Im sure it was on some u.s powerline kit website

[monkeybusiness]

Ive seen a pack which had 6 1m pole u attached with a normal hook screwed on like any pole kit but it had an extra hook wielded side by side, this is so the groundie can place the hooks over the prussic etc and lower the climber down. Im sure it was on some u.s powerline kit website

 

AUS manufacture/sell them.

[WorcsWuss]

When I take my kids climbing I just use a lowerable anchor, if they freeze up I can gently bring them back down. It's doubly useful because I can drag a pulley up there to reduce the friction for them without the expense of buying / complexity of installing a pulley saver.

I use the same arrangement if I'm climbing for someone who can't do aerial rescue, which is half of the time [not in a professional situation you understand...!].

As you point out though, the issue with this would come if I was unconscious and stropped in and so couldn't cut my strop.... Calculated risk.....

[MOG]

good call there WorcsWuss, @ Rik thats awesome to hear you are praticing great work there. Keep it up and bet you get it under 5mins now worries. Great to hear guys are doing this:) big pat on the back mate.

 

Cheers MOG

[Rik]

haha cheers mog! i like to keep upto date with stuff cos its me thats up that tree and i want to make sure that ive got everything in place as possible incase it all goes kaput!

 

likin the idea of the poles that clip together.. i had thought about having a throwline or thin rope attached to the mainline with a pulley just above the prussik that could be pulled down from the ground and lower the climber. however this would of course have the downside of having an extra rope flailing around getting hooked on everything getting in the the way. (which we all know it would!) possibly more useful on a pole than in a big spreading broadleaf.

[ben lightfoot]

using a figure of eight backed up with a prussik in case the rescuer let go of the line would work......but what if the rope was not long enough to get them down?

[Swampster]

If you're climbing DDRT the pulley set up works well. Setting your high anchor the same as an SRT rig, allows complete control from the ground if necessary. The pole may be good but its very limited imo.

[Rik]

hey swampster understand what u mean about the pole being limited, also im afraid im not familiar with the 'DDRT' system? could u give me a pointer as to what this system consists of?

[Swampster]

You mentioned cutting prusiks? suggests your climbing rope passes through a friction hitch/prusik on your harness, then up to a high anchor/cambium saver and then back to a fixed point on your harness?? that'll be DDRT or doubled rope technique.