The Tower
Dear Ms. Jones
Patsy Insurance Co.
Wata'ohoh, HI 96999-0101
I am writing in response to your request for additional information for
Block 3 of the Accident Report Form (ARF) I submitted to you on
April 1, 1997. I put "poor planning" as the cause for the accident.
You said in your letter that I should explain more fully. I trust
the following detail will be sufficient.
I am an Amateur Radio operator and on the day of the accident,
I was working alone on the top section of my new 80 foot tower.
When I had completed my work, I discovered that I had, over the
course of several trips up the tower, brought up about 300 pounds
of tools and spare hardware. Rather than carry the now
unneeded tools and material down by hand, I decided to lower
the items down in a small barrel by using a pulley, which was
fortunately attached to the gin pole at the top of the tower.
Securing the rope at ground level, I went back to the top of
the tower and loaded the tools and material into the barrel.
Then I went back to the ground and untied the rope, holding
it tightly to ensure a slow decent of the 300 pounds of tools.
You will note in Block 11 of the Accident Report Form that
I weigh only 155 pounds. Due to my suprise of being jerked off
the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot
to let go of the rope.
Needless to say, I proceeded at a rather rapid rate of speed
up the side of the tower. In the vicinity of the 40 foot level,
I met the barrel coming down. This explains my fractured skull
and broken collarbone. Slowed only slightly, I continued my
rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand
were two knuckles deep into the pulley. Fortunately, by this
time I had regained my presence of mind and in spite of my pain,
I was able to hold on to the rope. At approximately the
same time, however, the barrel of tools hit the ground and
the bottom fell out of the barrel. Devoid of the weight of
the tools, the barrel now weighed approximately 20 pounds.
I refer you again to my weight, shown in Block 11 of my
submission.
As you might imagine, I began a rapid descent down the side
of the tower. In the vicinity of the 40 foot level, I met the
barrel coming up. This accounts for the two fractured ankles,
and the lacerations of my legs and lower body.
The encounter with the barrel slowed me enough to lessen
my injuries when I fell onto the pile of tools and,
fortunately, only 3 vertebrae were cracked. I am sorry to
report, however, that as I lay there on the tools, in pain,
unable to stand and watching the empty barrel 80 feet above
me, I again lost my presence of mind and let go of the
rope . . . . .
Sincerely,
Andy Clark, WA4PRF
TIARA (Tokyo International Radio Association)
By Joe Speroni
Email: 
This story is not original. It was copied from another
Web site (geocities.com/Eureka/park/4751), but I was so taken with it, I
decided to make a copy of it here. It has been edited for style and
it fit the "environment" of my original of the Antenna story. Joe Speroni,
AH0A/7J1AAA
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