I nearly bought the farm Saturday afternoon while out testing out the 390XP. I've debated back and forth whether or not to share this. Hopefully, someone can learn from my mistakes.
First of all, I'm
FAR from a professional. What frustrates me most, is that I know how to do this right. I know all the mistakes I made and how to avoid them. Yes, it's rather embarrasing.
Anyway, here's what happened. I was out videoing the 390XP for you guys. I was alone. I decided to drop about a 30" DBH tree. Why not go ahead and video that too? I've dropped trees twice this big, no biggie. Right there's where I started going wrong. Every tree is a biggie. I had no backup saw, no wedges, no helmet............. Get the picture? Complacent and careless. I know! I slapped a nice notch in there, back barred the first side of the back cut, walked around and finished the other side. She sat back on me! I had misread the lean. I took the power head off the 28" Oregon Reduced Weight bar. Not a deal at all had I used wedges like I normally would.
Now I had to run home and grab another bar, a 32" Oregon Reduced Weight this time. This time I've got wedges and get them in the cut as soon as I have room. This is no big deal, right? Cut, drive wedges, pull out stuck bar. Then the 32" bar gets stuck. What I didn't yet realize was that I had cut through the hinge on the far side. So I'm driving wedges to push it over. No big deal, that's what wedges are for. Until.....she started falling 90###° to where I intended. I realize what's happening. Instead of stepping back, I hang onto the handle of the saw to pull it free as soon as the tree releases it. I'm standing clear behind the tree. Instead, the saw is yanked from my hand and SMACK.............everything goes black. As the tree fell, it took the top out of another tree. That fell clear. What got me was a limb on the tree I was falling hit the same tree now missing it's top, folding a branch back towards me. So, this branch isn't just falling, it's being levered and accellerated towards me. Of course, I don't know this until it hits me. I was too busy trying to save my saw and wasn't looking up,
as I know to do. Had I simply stepped back, none of this would have happened.
The branch that hit me forked into two. I was hit by both, driving my forehead into the stump twice. Also, I had a heavy leather and fleece lined hat on. Had I not, the split on the back of my head would have been much worse.
I didn't know that I had been knocked unconsious until studying the video. Immediately after the impact, I reached for the back of my head with my left hand. You can then see my left hand fall limp, and then I collapse to my side and back. I laid there for 20 seconds before moving. I thought I had simply been knocked to the ground and got up almost immediately. It really shook me up to realize what had really happened.
I'm very fortunate to have not been either killed, or much more seriously injured. They did a CAT scan of my head, which was ok. They also x-rayed my left thumb, which I sprained. I smashed two finger tips, and have a sore jaw. I have 4 staples in the back of my head.
I know I deserve all of the scolding you guys can give me, but I know the mistakes I made. That's what makes this so bad, and embarrasing. Hopefully, someone will learn something from my mistakes and avoid a serious accident. Stay safe out there guys! Don't drop trees alone, study your tree carefully, NEVER cut through your hinge, always have wedges, always have a backup saw and/or bar, always look up, and never try to save a saw! There's a reason falling limbs are called widow makers!
[video=youtube;1VWtM2BKsGk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VWtM2BKsGk[/video]
This afternoon. It looks like blood from the knot is draining into my eyelid.
