20.08.2014

Rope proves fatal

A man died in an unusual accident, while using a bucket truck to trim trees in Alice Township on the north east side of Reading, Pennsylvania last week.

The man, Terry English, 61, owner of Northern Star Tree Services in Blandon had cut a tree limb that he had tied to a rope in order to lower it to the ground, but as it dropped across the bucket the rope somehow wrapped around his torso causing him a serious injury. He was around 10 or 11 metres up at the time.

The incident was spotted by those watching him who alerted his partner, Tim Maser, to the situation so that he could bring English down. However he struggled to bring it down, saying "I was so scared and I don't know how to really work the levers. So I lowered him down as far as I could."

The platform was lowered to around three metres over the front of the truck and Maser was able to cut the branch free from the rope, removing the tension. The local fire department arrived about then and were able to remove him from the bucket, but he was still unconscious. He was rushed to hospital but passed away shortly thereafter.
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The incident occurred while removing tree limbs

Vertikal Comment

While this incident has little to do with the platform, what it does emphasise is how important it is that those working on the ground are fully familiar with how to operate the lift from the lower controls. All too often this simple lack of knowledge costs precious time at a critical point in someone’s survival. It can literally mean the difference between life or death.