Dropped into high tension

[LarryTheCableGuy]

The actual tree never touched the line, it was merely a branch, and by branch, I mean something around 1/2 inch I'd guess, the sound was an arc.

Yeah, good point. With that little branch (which somehow wasn't part of the actual tree ) someone nearby might have only been partially dead.

"If nothing like this has EVER happened to anyone, you probably haven't cut enough trees."

That's some faulty thinking in my book. S**t like that happening is waaaaay too serious for a caviler attitude that expects it to happed eventually.


.

 

[Bigus Termitius]

It made a cool sound and emitted a pretty blue color that was very prominent in the light of day...i was ignorant in the fact that my life was in danger...(maybe it was his idea of getting rid of his first wife! heehee!)

That cool sound and pretty blue light isn't for your wonderment, sis. It's death on an ugly, ugly stick. What you thought was "cool" chilled me to the bone.

Your astonished, lassie faire approach reminds me of that stripper chick in Independence Day that promises not to go to welcome the UFO and finds herself at the top of the Empire State building right before the ufo opens up with cool sounds and pretty colorful light mere moments before it blows them away.

If it's cool sounds and pretty colorful light that you want, go take in a laser light show, or or or Fireworks, yeah Fireworks!

Please consider taking this experience a bit more soberly.

 

[beowulf343]

In the video you can hear the buzzing from the arcing... This is actually pretty funny.

It made a cool sound and emitted a pretty blue color that was very prominent in the light of day

FUNNY? COOL? You two are idiots! Bigus was right-you spend any time around power and that sound will clench your butt cheeks together so tight you won't have to worry about taking a dump for a week. That is one of the worst sounds in the world because it means someone just messed up very badly and only lady luck knows how much worse it's gonna get. I guess you haven't seen two lines slapped together and a fireball rolling around the ground-tons of fun! Seen a house drop blow polesaw blades in half-great party trick for you! Broken lines sparking on the ground and blowing holes in concrete-that will turn the ladies on! Lord, save us from engineers who think they can run a saw!

 

[ciscoguy01]

Electricity

I'm also an electrician. Did you know that your standard 110/120 house voltage is about 1000x's more dangerous than the 480 that's passing overhead. If you knew ANYthing about electricity you'd know that. Even a 208/220/240 circuit is wayyyy less dangerous than the 110 in your house outlets. Tell you what, next time you get a chance, make sure your 200amp standard service is grounded, and stick your hand on the poles of your house service. If your dry and have insulated shoes you WILL NOT get shocked. The chances of getting fried from a line are almost NIL from 30' away. So stop being dramatic and go cut some wood dude... It is funny. Nothing anyone on here is going to tell me will make me think it isn't funny. My wife and I are still laughing about it. Course we base jump, skydive and alot of other stupid stuff, so this really doesn't stack up as SCARY on the list of things... Go climb a rock...

 

[Trinity Honoria]

So stop being dramatic and go cut some wood dude... It is funny. Nothing anyone on here is going to tell me will make me think it isn't funny. My wife and I are still laughing about it. Course we base jump, skydive and alot of other stupid stuff, so this really doesn't stack up as SCARY on the list of things... Go climb a rock...

oh my... the Darwin Effect continues....

 

[beowulf343]

The chances of getting fried from a line are almost NIL from 30' away.

Indirect contact.

There was a posting of a groundie killed just recently-how far away from the lines was he?

 

[lxt]

What I will say is this. If nothing like this has EVER happened to anyone, you probably haven't cut enough trees. Yes, more precautions should've been taken, on the same hand, how many trees has ANYONE cut in here that have fallen the wrong direction. If they haven't, you haven't cut enough. I've been in the woods for nearing 25yrs now, not felling, but on the same hand, this wasn't expected. I did think the tree would clear the line if it would have fallen backwards, which it did. The actual tree never touched the line, it was merely a branch, and by branch, I mean something around 1/2 inch I'd guess, the sound was an arc. STOP WITH THE BASHING!!! I didn't post it to hear petty comments from people about how horrible I am, or what a d1psh1t I am. I posted it as informative, preventative, "if your thinking about doing something halfa5sed, take the time to do it right, or else." Save your comments and learn something. Now, take this video for all you guys that have companies, show it to your guys on how important safety is and taking the time to do things right, and run with it... Back to the chainsaw gallery eh?

WRONG, ive been doing it for going on 21yrs & was taught the right way!!! Ive had accidents usually a bare secondary that the inspector wouldnt have rubber up when asked cause production & puttin a green line through the miles is more important.

one thing about electricians Treeco, when it comes to high voltage most just dont know!! homerun to the box here, circuit there, 12-2, 14-2, etc... this they know!!!! many have never seen a 23kv transformer blow, many dont even know how to tell if its 23kv & this guy thinks its funny!!!

wouldnt have been funny if a Little kid was on his swing set down the road & you put the line down uhh? stick with jumpin, try no chute now that would be funny!!!

LXT................

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

A year or two ago there was a similar accident when a crew dropped a tree on power and took it down on a young man who was severely injured to the pointy he could not sweat. I think he died that summer from hyperthermia. Very gruesome pictures on this site from that poor fellows demise.

I do appreciate your sharing your story, and I thank God that you and your pretty wife are hale and whole together.

The problem I see is that your attitude does not show you understand the gravity of the situation.

• there was electrical contact with your wife near the lines
• Your wife was in the danger zone of the fall, only the faller should be that close to the tree
• neither of you were weraing any head protection. Why do the call dead limbs widow makers?
  
  

If I watched the vid again, I could add to my list. You need some instruction my young friend, so that you and your lovely wife can grow old together. Your learning is a bunch of bad habits

 

[jmcguiretree]

Stick to the electric work and leave tree work to the pro's.

 

[ciscoguy01]

Wife

The wife actually was farther away then you think. The whole tree was only 26' tall, I cut it and only could get 2 10' logs, wife was over 30'. I made her run even farther, just in case... She was NEVER in danger. If that tree would have fallen straight towards her it COULD NOT have hit her. As far as kids up the road, there's not a house within .25 miles of me. I don't live near anyone. Don't you think your beating the horse here??? I still hold to the point that there are wayyyyyy to many people on here that this has happened to that don't/won't say anything. It was not a normal occurence, I can guarantee this WON'T ever happen again to me. It won't happen again cause next time I'll climb it, put ropes on it, or get my bucket truck and cut low first...

I'm still smilin'

 

[Dadatwins]

The wife actually was farther away then you think. The whole tree was only 26' tall, I cut it and only could get 2 10' logs, wife was over 30'. I made her run even farther, just in case... She was NEVER in danger. If that tree would have fallen straight towards her it COULD NOT have hit her. As far as kids up the road, there's not a house within .25 miles of me. I don't live near anyone. Don't you think your beating the horse here???

Don't want to keep beating up the dead horse but I get the feeling you are still not understanding the danger of what you did. The fact that the tree hit the wire at all is the dangerous part, and like most who know nothing about the power lines dismiss them as 'just a wire'. If the tree did not fall and ended up shorting the line do you realize a backfeed into ALL the houses on the line could have occured? Ever see a power panel blown off a house? How about a few blocks full of fried refrigerators and plasma TV's and computers. Think your insurance company would just write a check fot that? As for being able to run away from the danger, I don't know of anyone that has outrun a direct ground short from a power line. I am glad you are still smilin' and hope that you look at the wires and tree work with a little more respect next time.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

:deadhorse:

 

[Canyon Angler]

I'm also an electrician. Did you know that your standard 110/120 house voltage is about 1000x's more dangerous than the 480 that's passing overhead. If you knew ANYthing about electricity you'd know that. Even a 208/220/240 circuit is wayyyy less dangerous than the 110 in your house outlets.

Going by that reasoning, I ought to be able to stand in my bathtub and bite down on a high-tension 110 kVAC transmission line with no ill effect, no?

Glad yer OK, but you ain't wiring my house!

 

[sawinredneck]

Going by that reasoning, I ought to be able to stand in my bathtub and bite down on a high-tension 110 kVAC transmission line with no ill effect, no?

Glad yer OK, but you ain't wiring my house!

In a way, he is right. Most electricians agree, 120 will "grab" you and hold you if you touch it, 240 and 480 will throw you away from it.

I still wouldn't want to play with that high tension line though:jawdrop:

 

[Urbicide]

Electrical burns are totally different than chemical or heat burns in that they cook you from the inside out verses burning the outer layer of your skin. If you are not killed out right then usually you will lose part of your body. It isn't pretty. I was at a safety demonstration put on by the power company when I was an apprentice. There are many safeguards put in place for the lineman's protection but it only takes one incident. I'm not a lineman, btw.

 

[deevo]

I know I know it's not funny. I looked around, checked everything. I didn't feel like climbing and limbing it first though... It was heavy on the southeast side of the tree, I wanted it to fall Northwest. I cut a biggggg notch, used the wedge and kept working it. Eventually, it let go and a badddd thing happened... It fell right where I didn't want it to. I thought it'd clear the lines, but it didn't. In the video you can hear the buzzing from the arcing... This is actually pretty funny. Althoughhhhhhhhh, I was VERY lucky the lines didn't come down and leave a live lead on the ground. This was a near miss for sure. Next time I will climb it and do it the right way.

(THIS IS A DON'T DO OR TAKE SHORTCUT OR ELSE VIDEO!!!!)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8844558059294332074

Yeah I know every body has ripped you apart already, this is the first I've seen of this video. Yes you were way out of your league on this one. Your notch is so screwed up it wasn't even funny, like everyone else said at least rope it to direct it if your not sure, which you weren't. Also you were looking the totally opposite direction of the way the tree was falling when you were walking/running away from it. The lesson learned from this I hope you realize is start off with a small tree then work your way to something like this, or have an experienced person there to help you or call someone that can do it properly. In this business usually your first mistake could be your last! Also your comments about everyone doing something like this is dead wrong. With the proper training and experience you would not find yourself in this kind of disaster, or almost disaster. I'm not trying to beat a dead horse.....but if your out of your element don't put yourself in any undue dangers!
Stay Safe:greenchainsaw:

 

[Gologit]

:deadhorse:

+ 1. Another "look how stupid I was and got away with it" post. I don't buy the fact that this was posted to teach us all something or to give us an example of how not to do things. It's bragging, pure and simple...like a little kid going " Hey guys look at me, I'm doing something dangerous and stupid and aren't I cool"
I'm always up for instruction or object lessons from people who know what they're doing but this is just plain ridiculous.
Cisco, I've read a lot of your posts and you're usually a pretty sensible guy. Quit with the Tree Hero theatrics while you're still ahead.

 

[Ekka]

Was that tree only 26' tall? Something seems odd there.

 

[jmcguiretree]

Judging where a 26' tree can fall is easier then a 75' tree.You should have had a rope in it whether it was 26' or 75'.Are you sure on your height????:crazy1:

 

[deevo]

Judging where a 26' tree can fall is easier then a 75' tree.You should have had a rope in it whether it was 26' or 75'.Are you sure on your height????:crazy1:

I don't think he's sure on much? :greenchainsaw: