Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Falling off a ladder...

LOL

My name is G W and I am a two time ladder looser. Fist 4 ft fall, broke my pelvis three places, crushed left wrist and broke bones around left eye. Second fall 5 ft and broke five bones in left hand. Now have arthur in left hand/wrist and pelvis. Difficult to use the left hand without severe pain. Not going for the three time looser award. GW

Clinging to a rain gutter like a spider monkey to no avail. Nowadays I avoid ladders whenever possible.

Reminds me that tomorrow I will be climbing a 40" ladder.
I need to buy a tree stand harness or rig one on my own shortly.

Just healed from a partially torn RT from the same.
PM me if you want to possibly avoid surgery or heal faster if you do.

They’re lifesavers.
I was 18-20’ up an oak tree putting in a tree stand, about 10 years ago. Both feet were on wet screw in steps. It was raining lightly. My feet slipped and I fell backwards.
But I was wearing a harness and linesman belt. Instead of falling backward 20’, I fell 2-3’ and was slammed into that oak tree trunk. Knocked the wind out of me and scared me a lot. Also pretty sore a few days.
I’ll never get in a tree stand unless I’m on a lifeline from ground up and back down.

I appreciate that illustration Dale.

I'm a very high risk personality.
Came close to buying the farm too many times to remember.
I started writing down my near death experiences.just to quit forgetting and realized that I have to write at least two books. 😄 It'll be a series when I include my biography of my late Dad.

That said, my friends saw the scores of trees that I have to top and trim and told me of another bud who fell at that distance 18-20'. His attorny son checked insurance actuaries and said he was fortunate to break as many bones as he did. From that one fall he had an 80% chance of dying. If someone is on blood thinners too it just takes a bump on the head.

Reminds me of James 4

"Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."

I had a reverse shoulder operation from a fall off a ladder and lost 75% of the use of my left arm and hand. It also re-broke a place in my back and made a small rotator tear that I'm living with.

BE CAREFUL, everyone.

When I first got out of the USARMY I spent a short time as a lineman, one of the guys I was working with was getting ready to climb a ladder, about 7 feet up the ladder slid and he grabbed the pole in a bear hug trying to break his fall. As he slid down the pole his shirt lifted up and he ended up with some horrible road rash on his chest and stomach.

"Walking" ladders drove our safety guy nuts! Lol!

My favorite JeffO ladder vid.
The music ties in well with it.






Glad to hear the OP is GTG.

Thats a good way to get hurt.

I don’t mind 40” ladders, but I do dislike 40’ ladders
Be careful !

Dayom. That could have been bad. That may hurt a week or 2.

Into my second beer and third dose on advil. Feel better than I did this morning. Probably will get back on the horse tomorrow after work.

I have too much to loose. I won’t climb in my treestand anymore without a harness. I won’t let my employees climb in dangerous situations either. I have had to fire one recently for stupid ladder placement. I warned him twice, even told him there are more ways to do things besides fast. I appreciated his drive but safety is paramount. I came up on a job and he had a platform on sawhorses with an extension ladder on top. I had him come down and fired him on the spot. I ripped his platform apart and pushed the 2000 dollar scaffolding on wheels I bought last year into the room. I looked at the other two employees and said if i see anything else like that again ill fire you too.

Ladders, scaffs, they can all KILL you if you don't pay attention.

I am a total bear when it comes to setting the feet of a ladder at the proper angle. Or roping off, or whatever. Come close a couple of times. The very worst was on a windyish day, I had some punchlist on a building facade, I was working by myself on the punchlist. So, I would guess 36 feet to the parapet. I'd just climbed to the work point at about 34 feet, braced myself in and was starting to tie off to a lead I'd dropped from the parapet, tied to an A/C unit.

FOOM comes the wind and away we gooooo, it was a huge gust. If I hadn't had the lead in my hands, I'd be dead or crippled. But I got moved over about four feet and the ladder foot disengaged, twisting the ladder so it wouldn't stand any more. So, very effing carefully, I tied the lead to the rungs like I meant it, then monkeyed down with my arms and legs wrapped around the rails. Only after I was a step off the ground did anyone else notice.

Aside from ladders, I've exited two roofs over 20 feet free fall, landed perfectly both times however I don't know how I did.

Needless to say, I always use the biggest effing ladder I can stuff into the work space and never climb it unless I'm happy. Same for roofs. Either cleat it or get me a safety line tied to a locomotive or something.

👍

I'm stuck using hand saws above roof peak hight on top few rungs, so fatigue sets in and I can't depend on personal strength, alertness, balance, etc.
I got done watching tutorials on double harnesses. I have high rated webbing tape, carbiners for me and straps for ladder to tree tie-ons. Should be good as possible without helpers.
The shoulder tear seems healed now, so will pace and get my strength back a little each day. I don't have any more time to get injured.

Damn, HappyCamper, I love that one. Never heard it before I am not much of a bible scholar:

James 4:14, KJV: "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." ... Your life is like the morning fog--it's here a little while, then it's gone."

The Word of God is powerful.

I reach out to nursing home patients and assisted living seniors mostly. I'm often reminded of these passages whether its a child or a senior. Life is valuable and it seems short in light of eternity. Most Young adults wouldn't bring up these conversations we are having because most haven't had these experiences and take a video game view like they just hit the reset button.