Tree felling accident

[chet]

A neighbor of mine, a local doctor, received a broken neck as a result of dropping a tree on himself a couple of days ago. It is my understanding he had to undergo a total neck fusion. He will have a long road to recovery.

[Tom]

While I know that was a terrible accident, he had a close call.

[J_T]

Wish him luck. I been hit twice now I try to hire my timber cut. I can tell it more every day as my aches have aches

[SasquatchMan]

It's pretty easy to underestimate how much material a tree has in it.  They hit hard.

I find it so strange that people who would never attempt to do shoe repair on their own, or fix their own car, or replace a window on their house, or any of a million mundane tasks, will fire up a motorized tool that could kill them in seconds, and apply it to a few thousand pounds of wood teetering on a wee stump.  Bizarre.

[rebocardo]

Tragic, I hope he recovers and has full use of his arms and legs.

[Ron Scott]

In last nights and today's local News.

Man Dies While Cutting Down a Tree

A 70-year-old Falmouth man was pronounced dead at the scene by Missaukee county emergency personnel in Holland Township after being hit by a tree.

The man was cutting a tree around noon Sunday when the tree he was cutting broke and struck him, according to Missaukee County Sheriff's Department.

I understand that it was leaning against some other trees.

We have discussed this hazardous situation many times in discussing tree falling safety.

[Buzz-sawyer]

A neighbor one ridge over died as a result of cutting a tree recently....Also a life long logger died as a result of a random deadhead falling on him while cruising the woods...IMAGINE THE IRONY!....... only takes a branch 3-4 inches falling from 70-100 feet to kill ya...we are fragile creaturs
Don

[Gus]

SasquatchMan,
Interesting how you put that. It puts it into perspective. With me as well as many others on this site I'm sure. I never think twice about falling a tree. I mean I stand back and survey the location, above as well as below, and always take the wind into consideration. Make sure I've got an out, even if I have to make one. DanG, I been doing this all my life. Many times I do these things without even thinking about it much but I do them. Oh, there have been a few times when something went wrong but they've turned out to be DanG good lessons and nothing more, thank goodness. I also realize that with every tree I fell, I'm one step closer to getting smucked. It may never happen but there is that ONE time. It only takes ONCE.
Chet, I certainly hope your neighbor comes out of this fiasco being able to live a somewhat normal life. Sheesh, thats a tough one.

Gus

[Stephen_Wiley]

Sometimes a verbal visualization puts into effect the impact of a hazardous situation which is taken for granted.

I for many years offered this suggestion; ".......a high school javelin weighs approximately 600 or 800 grams.  would you willing stand with your arms to your side while I threw this at your chest?"

A  two and half inch branch 12' in length falling a distance of 30' depending upon species but being conservative will have a apx. weight of 678 lbs. upon impact.

A gram = 0.0022046 of a pound.

[IndyIan]

Sometimes I wonder about my choice cutting trees in my woods for firewood or using a chainsaw at all...  Doesn't take to much to get into some real trouble and I really don't have to do it.  

I find though that most fun activities have some real risks attached.  I used to dirtbike alot, then I did some downhill mountain bike racing... heck even playing rec. hockey can put me into a wheel chair or worse.  

I guess I feel that if you educate yourself and wear the safety gear, you've done what you can and worrying about could happen is not going to help, although preparing for what could happen does help.  Also I never do the "cut and hope" thing, even on the little stuff.  

I do have a question about hanging dead branches, I have a few in some trees from past logging, how could I get them down when they are 50-70' up there?  I'm thinking of an arborists throw bag to get up there and maybe break off the supporting branch?

Ian

[Kevin]

Ian, without climbing that's the best way to take the hangers out.

[slowzuki]

I often wondered about # 8 in the 12 gauge for removing things like that.

Ian, without climbing that's the best way to take the hangers out.

[IndyIan]

Thanks Kevin, Slowzuki
Hmm...  The shot gun sounds kinda dangerous but I guess if you use fine enough shot there's no chance of the falling shot hurting anyone.  Is #8 fairly fine?  
My Dad hasn't had the gun out in a while, this could be a good father, son bonding while making loud noises thing. ;D

Ian

[Kevin]

A 12oz. weight and 180' of Zing-it throw line will give you 560 lbs. tensile pulling strength.
You can always pull a heavier line up with the throwing line as well.
There's a new micro bull line available called Black Widow that is 1/4" dia. and rated at 7400lbs. tensile.

[theonlybull]

2 years ago, there was a logger killed when he left a tree standing that he had cut, and went to cut his next tree.  he was about 20' up the second tree limbing, when the first decided to fall,  unfortunatly, his head was right at the point of crossing for the 2 trees...  and he had been working in the woods for 30 years.

i responded to that as a volly firefighter, and after seeing him as he was being loaded into the body bag, then carrying him 1/2 mile to the road, i will never forget that... :-[

[woodmills1]

By the way if it doesn't hit anything,. the speed something leaves the ground with is very nearly the speed it returns with, so even light shot with an high muzzel velocity will come speeding back to ground

[rebocardo]

I attach cables to almost the trees I take down, so I usually shake the tree with the truck to get any hangers down. Works well on pine, not so well on 36" oak.

Also, I have tossed lines around branches and broken them off with my winch to get hangers down that were too tough to get down otherwise. Like when a hanger is sitting Y side down on a good branch.