Cautionary Tale - 71 isn't the new 23

[retiree-urgency abandoned]

Since there isn't a forum for "Dumb Stuff I Shouldn't Have Done (OTT Confessions)", I'm posting mine here.

Last week I let my undeserved sense of self-confidence get the better of me. Had a few free hours in the morning before the dew burned off the grass enough to mow, so I checked the to-do list and decided to remove a few good-sized limbs from a tree near the barn. My wife wanted our tree guy to do it, but I told her I could do it myself - WRONG!

The ladder was a little short for where I needed to be to cut the limbs so I climbed up a few crotches to where I wanted to be. Dropped the first limb - no problem. Dropped the second limb and then realized that my boot was stuck in the tree crotch. Extracted my boot, and in maneuvering to get down to the ladder, started to lose my footing. Tossed the chain saw into a bush so I'd have both hands free, but then managed to lose my grip on the tree and then lost my tenuous footing. Without any time for a pucker, I fell backward 15 feet to the ground.

As I was falling, my shoulder clipped one of the big limbs on the ground and I dislocated my shoulder. Fortunately, we had someone working here that day who saw me go down - he and my wife got my arm slinged, loaded me into the car and got me to the ER where they were able to do a non-surgical "reduction" to get the shoulder back in place. Needless to say, it will be a while before I get to that mowing.

I've got pretty incredible good luck, but after this misadventure, I'm taking it as a sign from the universe (and a deserved "I told you so" from my wife) to dial it down and avoid unnecessary risks. Limbing that tree wasn't an emergency, paying to have it done by a pro wasn't an issue - it was just me being a bonehead. Considering that I could have landed on a metal t-post of the fence below or landed with my back across that big downed limb - I got off easy and probably deserved everything I got.

So work smart, accept your limitations and be safe!

 

[jyoutz]

Since there isn't a forum for "Dumb Stuff I Shouldn't Have Done (OTT Confessions)", I'm posting mine here.

Last week I let my undeserved sense of self-confidence get the better of me. Had a few free hours in the morning before the dew burned off the grass enough to mow, so I checked the to-do list and decided to remove a few good-sized limbs from a tree near the barn. My wife wanted our tree guy to do it, but I told her I could do it myself - WRONG!

The ladder was a little short for where I needed to be to cut the limbs so I climbed up a few crotches to where I wanted to be. Dropped the first limb - no problem. Dropped the second limb and then realized that my boot was stuck in the tree crotch. Extracted my boot, and in maneuvering to get down to the ladder, started to lose my footing. Tossed the chain saw into a bush so I'd have both hands free, but then managed to lose my grip on the tree and then lost my tenuous footing. Without any time for a pucker, I fell backward 15 feet to the ground.

As I was falling, my shoulder clipped one of the big limbs on the ground and I dislocated my shoulder. Fortunately, we had someone working here that day who saw me go down - he and my wife got my arm slinged, loaded me into the car and got me to the ER where they were able to do a non-surgical "reduction" to get the shoulder back in place. Needless to say, it will be a while before I get to that mowing.

I've got pretty incredible good luck, but after this misadventure, I'm taking it as a sign from the universe (and a deserved "I told you so" from my wife) to dial it down and avoid unnecessary risks. Limbing that tree wasn't an emergency, paying to have it done by a pro wasn't an issue - it was just me being a bonehead. Considering that I could have landed on a metal t-post of the fence below or landed with my back across that big downed limb - I got off easy and probably deserved everything I got.

So work smart, accept your limitations and be safe!

One solution: I bought a battery operated pole chainsaw. I love it. I stand on the ground and cut limbs.

 

[PHPaul]

I don't do heights any more, nor ladders more than a couple of steps. I don't bounce worth a damn any more.

 

[WFM]

I got to say your lucky.
My stupid story is a older red oak tree that was topped off so the butt was about 12' tall and I hung my sewit basket on it for years. My property drops off out back. Behind the oak. A good 10' drop anyway.
The oak was getting a weak. But I'd still put up my ladder every few days and take the basket down and refill it and put it back up. Every morning first thing I'd look out to see if the sewit was there, if not the bear had been there. Anyway the day before father's day a few years back. I put up my ladder , the oak was shaky as I took it down. Filled the sewit, back up the ladder, stretched to put it on the spike...Crack over we go. Down 20'+- Next thing I knew I was laying in the brush.i went to get up. My right arm didn't move. I moved it with my left. Oh no. Not good. Torn rotorcuff.
A stupid stupid thing on my part. I knew the tree was week. Not doing that again.

 

[GeoHorn]

Twenty years ago I climbed up a 35’ extension ladder, and walked along unsecured purlins used as rafters, to the apex of what was to become a 30’ metal bldg…. and hauled up 25’ R-panels clipped with vice-grips onto the end of a rope … and screwed them down onto the wavering rafters… which only became sturdy after the R-panel was screwed-down.

I’d never done that sort of thing before and didn’t know any better.

But now that I celebrated my 76th a few days ago…. I hired a young man to climb onto my home roof to trim an oak branch out of they way of my internet-antenna….. and consider that a “good job” ….on MY part.

There’s a Reason for my learning to be cautious … My Dad lost two friends …at different times…. when they fell off the roofs of their houses…both in their mid-50’s…. (one of them in the evening after celebrating HIS son’s wedding that very same day)…. but the lesson was only driven-home decades later…. when only this year…. it was I …who lost a younger friend who fell from his roof.

 

[Speed25]

Voting to change the name of the thread-

"Dumb Stuff I Shouldn't Have Done (OTT Confessions)"

I should be here before long. My balls are bigger than my brains, and wisdom from old age hasn't come yet.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

hmm, 71 and 23. I'm 71 and Mike the tree cutter is 23. watched him CLIMB up a huge sugar maple and cut her down from 7 until 2:30.OK it was only 80' tall but yeesh seeing him up there delimbing was impressive !The 'kid' is booked 2 MONTHS in advance ,has 2 'groundsguys' and maybe 1/2mill in equipment. The fancy carabeener(sp) was $800 !
Climbing and cutting IS a young man's sport !

 

[retiree-urgency abandoned]

I've got a pole saw and a work platform that goes on the FEL forks. The work platform is solid and I'm very comfortable on that. But I couldn't reach the limbs with them - that's when I should have quit.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

friend's trying to sell his 'pole' truck. Think extension ladder ..like a fire truck...goes up 60'. Guy comes to buy it(real good deal.....) THEN sees it's a standard transmission..
sigh..no sale.....

learned yesterday guv is going to go back to TWO driver's liceneses for 'big rigs'. Standard and automatic endorsements..THAT will be 'fun'.

 

[D2Cat]

You truly are fortunate to escape with no greater injuries.

I use my tractor or hire it done. This hyd saw gets a lot of limbs down, but if it can't reach.....
I'm not climbing trees with a saw!

 

[mcmxi]

@retiree-urgency abandoned , it's good to hear that you survived this scare with relatively little damage. It could have been so much worse.

I have a brother in Australia who is a professor of Astrophysics. He's published lots of papers, lectured all around the world, is a fellow at Oxford University, has won numerous awards etc., but he has no common sense.

A few years ago while pruning a tree using a tall 12ft step ladder, he was on the top step, lost balance and managed to fall on the step ladder which broke three of his ribs. The doctor told my brother that it's a good thing that my brother is cheap since he bought a low-end Chinese step ladder that buckled under him. The doctor mentioned that the fall would have likely killed him had the ladder been more stout.

 

[fried1765]

I got to say your lucky.
My stupid story is a older red oak tree that was topped off so the butt was about 12' tall and I hung my sewit basket on it for years. My property drops off out back. Behind the oak. A good 10' drop anyway.
The oak was getting a weak. But I'd still put up my ladder every few days and take the basket down and refill it and put it back up. Every morning first thing I'd look out to see if the sewit was there, if not the bear had been there. Anyway the day before father's day a few years back. I put up my ladder , the oak was shaky as I took it down. Filled the sewit, back up the ladder, stretched to put it on the spike...Crack over we go. Down 20'+- Next thing I knew I was laying in the brush.i went to get up. My right arm didn't move. I moved it with my left. Oh no. Not good. Torn rotorcuff.
A stupid stupid thing on my part. I knew the tree was week. Not doing that again.

Initially, had a bit of trouble figuring out that "sewit"" is actually..... suet.

 

[Ktrim]

I got to say your lucky.
My stupid story is a older red oak tree that was topped off so the butt was about 12' tall and I hung my sewit basket on it for years. My property drops off out back. Behind the oak. A good 10' drop anyway.
The oak was getting a weak. But I'd still put up my ladder every few days and take the basket down and refill it and put it back up. Every morning first thing I'd look out to see if the sewit was there, if not the bear had been there. Anyway the day before father's day a few years back. I put up my ladder , the oak was shaky as I took it down. Filled the sewit, back up the ladder, stretched to put it on the spike...Crack over we go. Down 20'+- Next thing I knew I was laying in the brush.i went to get up. My right arm didn't move. I moved it with my left. Oh no. Not good. Torn rotorcuff.
A stupid stupid thing on my part. I knew the tree was week. Not doing that again.

You can't do it again. The tree fell down.

 

[Ktrim]

friend's trying to sell his 'pole' truck. Think extension ladder ..like a fire truck...goes up 60'. Guy comes to buy it(real good deal.....) THEN sees it's a standard transmission..
sigh..no sale.....

learned yesterday guv is going to go back to TWO driver's liceneses for 'big rigs'. Standard and automatic endorsements..THAT will be 'fun'.

Yes. If you take your road test with automatic that is your only choice. My buddy has 6 triaxles. 4 auto 2 stick. Can only find drivers for 4 of them.

 

[dirtydeed]

O/P- You're not alone...

I smashed this ladder with my ribcage a few years ago. In my haste to get my mothers gutters done, I set this ladder up on her (frosted) deck with too much angle. While waist high with her single story roof (approx 8.5 feet off the frozen deck) I felt the ladder feet begin to slip out. As I was going down, I recall thinking to myself ... "this shouldn't hurt too bad...you dumb*ss".

Well, in the process of landing, the ladder twisted sideways to provide a nice landing zone for my left side ribcage. When I hit the ground, I knew I was in trouble. I couldn't breathe at all. Mom was in her house and I couldn't yell for her. When I did get some air back into my lungs, the pain was excruciating. I managed to belly crawl off of her deck and around to the front of her house where my truck was parked. Climbed into the truck and had a painful ride home so that my wife could take me to the ER.

I spent about a month sleeping in a lounge chair and a second month sleeping only my right side. I did learn a valuable lesson and I have kept that ladder to serve as a reminder to not be a dumb@ss!

See the ribcage landing zone below.

 

[mcmxi]

O/P- You're not alone...

I smashed this ladder with my ribcage a few years ago. In my haste to get my mothers gutters done, I set this ladder up on her (frosted) deck with too much angle. While waist high with her single story roof (approx 8.5 feet off the frozen deck) I felt the ladder feet begin to slip out. As I was going down, I recall thinking to myself ... "this shouldn't hurt too bad...you dumb*ss".

Well, in the process of landing, the ladder twisted sideways to provide a nice landing zone for my left side ribcage. When I hit the ground, I knew I was in trouble. I couldn't breathe at all. Mom was in her house and I couldn't yell for her. When I did get some air back into my lungs, the pain was excruciating. I managed to belly crawl off of her deck and around to the front of her house where my truck was parked. Climbed into the truck and had a painful ride home so that my wife could take me to the ER.

I spent about a month sleeping in a lounge chair and a second month sleeping only my right side. I did learn a valuable lesson and I have kept that ladder to serve as a reminder to not be a dumb@ss!

See the ribcage landing zone below.

View attachment 130192

View attachment 130193

Very similar to my brother's accident mentioned above, only your ladder barely buckled at all, so I would say that you're extremely lucky.

 

[WFM]

Initially, had a bit of trouble figuring out that "sewit"" is actually..... suet.

That's my maine accent Fried....

 

[RCW]

Gosh - - I can relate to the thread. So glad @retiree-urgency abandoned is relatively okay. Could have been worse as he knows.

I was 23 once and invincible....we all had some of it in our blood...

Motorcycles, tall silos (I hate heights), chainsaws, lots of other stupid stuff...I was good.

Damn the torpedoes...translation is foolish.

Not so much anymore.

Got a couple rough 30" black cherry trees in the woods that need dropping. They're heavy leaners and getting rotted/soft. 30 years ago they'd be gone, but we didn't own that parcel then. Just waiting for Mother Nature to take them down now.

 

[JimmyJazz]

I have had lots of help renovating houses for personal use over that last 20 years and have heard stories and witnessed things people outside of the construction trades probably don't think about. A painter spending months in traction after having his ladder slide off the building. A roofer falling and breaking his back never to roof again. I spent a good bit of time with "workman John" as my young son at the time referred to him. John ,a tough guy, severely cut his thumb to the point where the bone was exposed. He taped it up and kept working. Hideous scar. I am 62 years old and the balls bigger than brains metaphor resonates. Hospital emergency rooms are busy places. Be safe people. Take your time.

 

[NCL4701]

Glad you’re not severely injured and sounds like you’ll recover (eventually).

I’m 57. Used to climb trees for a tree service in my early 20’s. Money was really good and it was enjoyable work, partly due to the inherent danger. I still mess with trees routinely but I don’t climb and haven’t since I moved on from the tree service. I don’t have the spikes or harness, I’m not in the physical condition I was then, I don’t have a competent ground crew, and I’ve only had one time I’ve had anything that couldn’t be done some way other than climbing (hired that out). Even when I was crazy enough to be climbing, never had any use for ladders in combination with tree work and never had the balls or inclination to free climb with a saw; both of those are REALLY crazy dangerous.