Climbing accident.

[Arctostaphylos uva-ursi]

As already said. Thanks for having the courage to post details of your unfortunate experience. I hope you are OK now.

So let me get this right, you had your climbing line tied off above you on the stem you were chogging down and your flip line around the stem just below your felling cuts. So as the piece went over you felt your top anchor point moving and in a panic grabbed your flip line but unfortunately pulled it off the top of the remaining pole yes? Was the zip line still tied to the piece you were felling also or did you manage to pull it off the top of the remaining spar with your flip line?

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Thanks for sharing, it's a brave and humble thing to do that others may learn from your story.

 

I can't quite get the picture straight in my mind from your description but it's of relatively minor consequence.

 

I kind of "get" the rationale (comfort in the harness) that might be gained from retaining a higher tie in whilst prepping the cut - but it's not something I'd consider as worthwhile in the risk/benefit analysis. It just takes a momentary distraction / lack of concentration to result in your described end state.

 

Where/when did you start using this technique? Was it taught or picked up along the way? Is it common out there in the wider world?

 

Would you use it again?

 

Your observation about the groundie not spotting it and alerting you is a key component of the chain of events (not to suggest "blame" rests there, just saying how critical the team effort is) and highlights the imperative of having switched on, tuned in, qualified staff with "eyes on" each other all the time.

 

Hope recovery is well underway. Have you been back aloft yet?

[TGB]

Hope you'll be ok when all is done. That's a bind to say the least and with just enough time to realise what was coming, was not going to be good

[AllTreeNeeds]

Thanks for posting,

 

I can only imagine the zip line wasn't directly from the stem he was anchored into otherwise the flip line coming off the top of the tree would have attached itself to the zip line and h'd have have had a long zip to the floor. That or his zip line was below his flip line and therefore wouldn't attach to the zip line on the way off. Or the zip line was vertical.

 

Too many zips and flips.

 

Glad you're able to type this out to us and we get a first person view of the incident rather than a third person view. Have a speedy recovery

[Darrin Turnbull]

A diagram would be nice. Get well soon

[jomoco]

I can see how it may have happened in my mind's eye now.

 

Lanyard above speedline trunk anchor, tied into the upper piece being speedlined, it goes over tugging you, you grab for your lanyard, just as your bodyline slips free of the piece, now upside down, just as your lanyard grab inadvertently pops it over the trunk Top?

 

Leaving you alone to fall 45 ft, lanyard, bodyline, chainsaw n all, as the piece zipped down the line.

 

I can see it now.

 

Here's to a quick n complete recovery mate!

 

Jomoco