Unbelievable Tree Fall Survival

[ricky racer]

Be careful out there guys. This video was posted by Arborists from down under. The following tells about what happened:

4 best mates went climbing up a Beautiful Sequoia Tree in the Dandenong Ranges. After enjoying the climb Andy was the last one in the tree. He was busy searching for a piece of equipment that had fallen off my harness when suddenly he was falling. He had forgotten to tie a stopper knot in the end of his line.

 

[DroptineKrazy]

Wow was he lucky or what? Amazing that he wasn't hurt worse. Great reminder for all of us.

 

[Blacksmith]

That's one tuff fellow. I'm afraid I could do major damage if I fell off a chair!

 

[Marmuzz]

Man, my HR just went up watching that. Amazing that he survived. I wonder what cushioned his blow enough?

 

[Marmuzz]

Give +/-24 hours for Uncle Tail to chime in rope climbing is dangerous... 2TC yada yada...

 

[Fl Canopy Stalker]

Be careful out there guys. This video was posted by Arborists from down under. The following tells about what happened:

4 best mates went climbing up a Beautiful Sequoia Tree in the Dandenong Ranges. After enjoying the climb Andy was the last one in the tree. He was busy searching for a piece of equipment that had fallen off my harness when suddenly he was falling. He had forgotten to tie a stopper knot in the end of his line.

So did he rappel off the end of his climbing line? Or was he hanging on a temporary lanyard and slipped off of it? I saw what looked like him coming down slowly, stopped for a second and then went plummeting to the ground catching and breaking on quite a few small branches headed down (those branches may have been the main reason he survived). Or maybe he was using an 8 or a belay device that wasn’t backed up???

 

[Horn]

Didn't one of the other guys tell him he didn't have a knot, a stopper knot I assumed?

 

[TreeRecon]

So did he rappel off the end of his climbing line? Or was he hanging on a temporary lanyard and slipped off of it? I saw what looked like him coming down slowly, stopped for a second and then went plummeting to the ground catching and breaking on quite a few small branches headed down (those branches may have been the main reason he survived). Or maybe he was using an 8 or a belay device that wasn’t backed up???

That's what I'm wondering. I didn't watch the video, but the only way you'd fall like that is if your line wasn't touching the ground while you rappelled

 

[Fl Canopy Stalker]

That's what I'm wondering. I didn't watch the video, but the only way you'd fall like that is if your line wasn't touching the ground while you rappelled

The line might not have touched the ground but from the looks of it the lines were at the base and he was the last man in the tree. It didn’t appear to be a MRS set up to me so I don’t know. Best I can tell, these were recreational climbers so I wish there were a bit more detail.

 

[Ballshooter]

If he was repelling what would a stopper knot do? Or am I missing something?

 

[Fl Canopy Stalker]

If he was repelling what would a stopper knot do? Or am I missing something?

If the line stopped short of hitting the ground, it would have prevented him from going beyond the end of his rope in a Ddrt or SRS descent. Guys have slid off the end of the ropes when they were coming down not knowing their lines weren’t all the way to the ground.

 

[Ballshooter]

If the line stopped short of hitting the ground, it would have prevented him from going beyond the end of his rope in a Ddrt or SRS descent. Guys have slid off the end of the ropes when they were coming down not knowing their lines weren’t all the way to the ground.

True..I always make sure my rope is touching or very close to hitting the ground before I start my repel. One lucky S.O.B. forsure!