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- A SAD STORY
-
- I am writing in response to your request for additional
- information for block #3 of the accident reporting form. I put
- "poor planning" as the cause for my accident. Your letter said I
- should explain more fully, and I trust the following will be
- sufficient.
-
- I am an amateur radio operator and on the day of the
- accident I was working alone at the top of my 80 foot tower. When
- I had completed my work I discovered I had, over the course of
- several trips to the top of the tower, brought up about 300 pounds
- of tools and hardware. Rather than carry the now un-needed tools
- and materials down by hand, I decided to lower the items down from
- the top of the tower in a small barrel by using a pulley which was
- fortunately attached to the top of the tower.
-
- Securing the rope at ground level, I went to the top of
- the tower and loaded the tools and the materials into the barrel.
- I went back down to the ground and untied the rope, holding it
- tightly to insure a slow decent of the 300 pounds. You will note
- in block #11 of the accident reporting form that I weigh only 155
- pounds.
-
- Surprised 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 on 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 hold onto the rope inspite of the pain. At
- approximately the same time, however, the barrel of tools hit the
- ground and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Devoid of the
- weight, the barrel was approximately 20 pounds. I refer you again
- to my weight in block #11. As you can imagine, I began a rapid
- decent down the tower. In the vicinity of the 40 foot level, I met
- the barrel on its way up. This accounts for the fractured ankles
- and the lacerations on my legs and lower body.
-
- The encounter slowed me enough to lessen my injuries when I
- fell onto the pile of tools and fortunately only 3 vertebrae were
- cracked. I'm sorry to report, however, that as I lay there on the
- tools, in pain, unable to stand, and watching the empty barrel 80
- feet above me, I again lost my presence of mind. I let go of the
- rope.
-
-
-