Amazing story John. One question......
What do you mean when you say that the temporary rope guy "suddenly
elongated"? It just stretched, or broke?? Did the failure of the
temporary guy have to do with the tower section being hauled up?
On 4/2/2011 12:30 AM, John Crovelli wrote:
> Warning: USING ROPE FOR TEMPORARY TOWER GUYING CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR
> HEALTH. SUDDEN GUY SYSTEM FAILURES CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY AND EVEN DEATH.
> WHEN WORKING ON TOWERS DO NOT TAKE SHORTCUTS. THINK TWICE BEFORE TAKING
> ANY ACTION THAT COULD PUT YOUR LIFE UNNECESSARILY IN HARMS WAY (CAPS used for
> emphasis).
>
> Hope I've gained your attention. This is a terribly serious subject.
> Comments posted on TT this week may have lead some less experienced or
> knowledgeable readers to believe using rope for guying is OK. Well, its not
> OK.....not at all OK in my opinion.
>
> I hope that as the result of reading about my tower accident experiences you
> will think twice before taking what is a totally avoidable risk.
>
> Three years ago I road 30 feet of Rohn 45G steel tower to the ground. A
> highly tensioned temporary guy rope (a piece of rope that had been used for
> the same purpose many times) suddenly elongated as a section of tower was
> being hauled up to me. Trust me - you never want to experience the absolute
> terror of being strapped to a falling tower. There is no escape, and what
> happens next is totally in god's hands.
>
> Fortunately for me, I survived the fall, landing on my back in the mud. The
> top of the tower had literally bent itself around my pelvis and upper thighs
> (the section had to be scraped). The first thing I remember doing was
> wiggling my toes....happily with success. But I had suffered multiple
> serious injuries. My back was fractured in three places, and my pelvis in
> six places. There was extensive soft tissue trauma and nerve damage to my
> abdomen and upper legs where the tower landed on top of me. And they found I
> had a crushed artery and internal bleeding. Luckily I was taken to a major
> trauma center with the facilities and staff expertise to skillfully handle my
> situation.
>
> I spent the first three days in Intensive Care, my status starting out as
> critical, but gradually upgraded as days passed. The damaged leaking artery
> was quickly discovered and surgically repaired. They have to give me 8 units
> of blood. Later that first night, as the result of this injury, a blood clot
> broke loose and made its way to my heart and lung - causing the doctors on
> call considerable concern for several hours - a very life-threatening
> situation. On day three, I was fitted with a molded plastic full upper body
> brace which would be my constant (and uncomfortable) companion for the next 8
> weeks. Two days later an orthopedic surgeon repaired my flexible flyer
> pelvis, strategically inserting two six inch SS screws during a 3 hour
> operation. After seven days in the primary care hospital, I was transferred
> to a rehabilitation facility for an additional 12 days of inpatient treatment
> to put me on the path to walking again. The trauma of the fall had left me
> fully
im
> mobile, unable to effectively use my legs. The insurance bill for the
> first three weeks of combined hospital, medical and surgical care was $240K.
> The toll of the accident physically, emotionally, and financially was
> substantial.
>
> When I finally got back home, there was physical therapy for another two
> months. It was a slow and often painful process getting my legs back in
> shape after the blunt force trauma. But three months to the day after an
> event that could have just as easily left me permanently disabled or worse, I
> climbed my first tower. My doctors credit being in excellent physical
> condition prior to the fall for an unusually short twelve week recovery.
> Today I have no apparent lingering physical problems as the result of the
> fall.
>
> If I had it to do it all over again, there would have been steel or
> phillystran temporary guys on that peer pin mounted tower. Yes, I know it is
> very inconvenient and takes far more time and effort to use steel or
> equivalent guying materials, but there is no substitute for safety. Your
> life depends on it.
>
> So please, don't make the same avoidable mistake that I made. Life is too
> precious.
>
> 73,
>
> John Crovelli
> W2GD/P40W
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
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>
--
73,
Gary K9GS
Check out K9NS on the web: http://www.k9ns.com
Greater Milwaukee DX Association: http://www.gmdxa.org
Society of Midwest Contesters: http://www.w9smc.com
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