My uncle fell out of a tree.
 

So, my uncle took a dive today...

He was cutting branches or whatever.

I don't know exactly what happened, apparently he fell off the ladder.
He doesn't remember it himself either.
A seven meter dive!
Result: He broke his back in three places... and a gash in his head.

The doctors say he was very lucky and he'll probably walk again...

What the F was he thinking?
Seven meters high on a ladder with no safety precautions whatsoever...
I mean seriously, he must have had a guardian angel the size of a fu(kin' JUMBO JET!
My grandmother is almost 90 years old, sweetest granny in the whole world, she would have been devastated...

I'm glad he'll probably get away clean, but I am sure going to set him straight!
Safety one on one, everybody with half a brain would not have gone up that ladder...

Just venting, and urging you guys to think twice when working in or around the house, on your cars...

BE SAFE GUYS!

7 meters isn't really very high if you fall properly.

Clearly, he didn't...

Glad he's ok.

23 feet? that's high..

this stuff takes out tree-stand hunters every year. glad he's going to be ok!

You either don't know the metric system, or are insane!

If the grandmother is 90, I'd guess the uncle is at least in his 60s.

23 feet is "very high" for anyone to fall, but is likely fatal a high % of the time for a 60+ year old to fall.

He's in his late 50's going on 60.
Reasonably fit, I guess that might have helped him.

It's not really very high to fall. Many people fall that distance and are not seriously hurt, the whole key is how you land. The idea is to do a monkey roll as you land, as opposed to trying to remain on your feet.

A paratrooper lands with at least as much force in a typical jump as an unencumbered man does from 20+ feet.

Probably not a whole lot of 60 year old paratroopers.

Yes, I agree, 23ft isn't that high, but it's higher than I'd want to fall. It'd be like falling off of the roof of my 2 story house. I suspect that wouldn't go well even if I tried to roll. And I've taken enough martial arts that I know how to roll.

Yes, but paratroopers are YOUNG men, not 66, like me...

That said, I'll confess to being a fool...did a bit of chain saw work while about 15' up not long ago. Had to get that limb out of the way so the well service co. could use their boom truck to lift the old pump & pipe out, and install new.

Don't get me wrong, i don't want to fall 23 feet either, i'm just sayin' that people can and do fall that far and don't get seriously hurt, though probably not at age 60.

I knew a 20 something girl that fell into her bathtub while drying off and died. It would have been a tragedy but for the fact that she was a junkie ho that no one liked.... ;)

She must've fallen on your SS Katana:D

anybody see the irony? "geronimooooooooooo!" is pretty much the universal scream when someone jumps...or falls.

snipe, jumping and falling are completely different. it all in the preparedness. my tree guy said falling with a chainsaw is the worse.

So I guess he's no longer the 'branch manger'

No kidding...if falling with a chain saw, do you damnedest to be sure the saw lands in a spot away from you.

There's a difference between a controlled, balanced jump off a 23 foot ledge and, umm, falling out of a tree! Not a lot of control there. That fall could easily be head first, in which case you are dead man.

You can often right yourself in a fall as a cat does by twisting your body, as a gymnast or high diver does...provided you know how, of course.

Just so we're clear on this, I wasn't anywhere near when this happened... :)

Glad he's OK.
I was putting up insulation in my garage last year (14 foot ceiling) and when i pushed on the staple gun the bottom of the ladder slid out and i went straight down and landed on my feet.
It's a wonder i didn't break both ankles. Don't think a monkey roll on concrete would have
helped me any. Course the engine stand i fell back against didn't feel too good either.

You fell back, so you were not on balance enough to monkey roll regardless. Of course a monkey roll will help, it's basic physics at play.

By rolling into the fall you are distributing the shock across more of your body and dissipating the energy over time, as opposed to instantly.

Take 3 subjects falling 20 feet, all landing on their feet. Have one lock his knees, one absorb the fall with his knees by squatting as he makes contact with the ground, and one absorb the shock first with his knees before rolling into the fall, and i guarantee you that subject C will suffer the least severe injuries every single time.

Gynmasts land from heights of approx. 20 feet all the time when dismounting from those big ass parallel bars and rings.

Very few people have that sort of body control, but if you know how.... :)

Just came back from a call where a 72 yr old was cleaning out his gutters and fell off a step ladder. Broke a arm and his hip. Fell about 7'. His wife was real sympathetic. Kept yelling at him "I told you to leave them alone." "Wouldn't listen"

Glad your uncle will be ok.

I did something similar. It was over before I really knew what happened. I seriously doubt humans can twist and roll like a cat spontaneously.

G, hope he is okay.

Falling from 20' you have about 1.5 secs. until impact. Accidentally falling out of a tree is a surprise, not orchestrated like in gymnastics or diving. There is almost no way for you to actually turn yourself around like a cat or prepare to impact. BTDT from about 20' out of a tree. I've also done my fair share of diving and gymnastics. Chances of landing on both feet from a tree fall is slim.

In the 10 years I worked on an ambulance I never got to the scene of a long fall and found someone standing there saying,"monkey roll"

You would have a better chance of surviving if you are drunk, but falling from 23' is very serious and in most cases will result in broken bones and worst case, paralysis to some degree due to spinal injury. I was on a call where a 60 YO fell from 8 feet and is paralyzed from the neck down also a call where a younger fellow perhaps 40 YO fell from 15' and had no serious injury.

I don't want to take the leap though. Since I'm an hour from any trauma center, I watch how high I go.

Humans, yes.

But ninjas . . .

It requires training.

Probably because they weren't hurt and didn't call you.

Seriously...are you an idiot? (asked as a legitimate question, not meant as an insult)

I can cite numerous cases of people falling far greater distances than 20 feet without injury, it's all a matter of how you land- which is why you can kill yourself from falling just 3 feet. It's all a matter of how you land.

If anyone is skeptical, go try sky diving and when you land, keep your knees locked and try to absorb all the energy with your feet alone, be sure not to roll. (As rolling after impact is something that every paratrooper is taught to do)

Any of you ever heard of the term "roll with the punches"?

"The purpose of the study was to get insight into the role of hand impact, impact velocity, and trunk orientation in the reduction of hip impact force in MA techniques. Six experienced judokas performed sideways falls from kneeling height using three fall techniques: block with arm technique (control), MA technique with use of the arm to break the fall (MA-a), and MA technique without use of the arm (MA-na). The results showed that the MA-a and MA-na technique reduced the impact force by 27.5% and 30%, respectively. Impact velocity was significantly reduced in the MA falls. Trunk orientation was significantly less vertical in the MA-a falls. No significant differences were found between the MA techniques. It was concluded that the reduction in hip impact force was associated with a lower impact velocity and less vertical trunk orientation. Rolling after impact, which is characteristic for MA falls, is likely to contribute to the reduction of impact forces, as well. Using the arm to break the fall was not essential for the MA technique to reduce hip impact force. These findings provided support for the incorporation of MA fall techniques in fall prevention programs for elderly."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16480724

So....a person falling right can reduce impact energy by as much as 30%- documented scientific fact. M'kay? ;)

I wish we lived closer. Not only could we then cruise teh 928, but I'd come over with my videocam and we'd find a 23' drop!

But you don't need me for that. Find a friend, tape measure it out and show us how a 23' jump (it's not very high) is properly executed! Post the video here or on youtube, etc.

That'd be epic.

Agreed.

No not an idiot,an ex paramedic, just commenting on my personal experience with falls.Agree it is how you land,just never personally seen it happen.

You never saw it happen because the person that falls and is not injured does not call the paramedics... ;)

Sniper, It is OK to be not always right.

Best,
Tom

No it's not.

Best,
Snipe

You're supposed to say "fixed" when you edit the content of a post. ;)

Any paratrooper on earth is subjected to far more impact force from a typical jump with full pack and gear (well in excess of 120lbs of stuff) than an unencumbered individual of average body mass falling from 20 feet is.

Paratroopers are taught to bend at the knees as they land and roll.

Why do you think that is?

Unlike skydiving or gymnastics a "fall" is NOT a planned event and the typical result will be less than "gymnastic". Speaking of which most of those *edit* (gymnast) folks are retired past 20 yr/old and the few I know in the later years all have some sort of foot/ankle/leg/back ailment traced back to the sport. YMMV.

A while back I slipped on something, didn't fall, and threw my back out for weeks.

Well i'm sorry, but i am right. Do i really need to post stories of people falling 23 feet and not being injured to prove what should be an obvious point, that it's all a matter of how you land and proper technique?

I guess i do.

I used to cliff dive here at a local quarry in Philly. 60+ foot drop. Again, it's all a matter of how you land. Land wrong, and it will kill you. Land right, and you get no injury whatsoever.

Article on extreme falls:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2004/may/20/thisweekssciencequestions2

Record distance for falling and not dying: 10 THOUSAND METERS.

Same article mentions a 102yo woman falling 4 stories off her balcony and surviving after a playhouse "broke" her fall.

"Scientists have long been fascinated by what happens to people who fall from great heights without a parachute. Unsurprisingly, most of them get killed; perhaps surprisingly, a few don't. A prime example of the latter was a 17-year-old male who in 1979 leaped off the Golden Gate Bridge from a height of 250 feet. According to one report, "he recount[ed] a slowing of time initially, and mid-fall, when fully realizing the oncoming impact, strove to adjust his attitude to the vertical feet-first position. An almost perfect entry was achieved. Although dazed, he swam to shore" and checked into a hospital, where his worst injury turned out to be several cracked vertebrae. "

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2587/could-you-jump-off-a-bridge-or-a-tall-building-and-survive-the-fall

Guess he had the same ninja training i do.... ;)

No! You need to post a video of you doing it! DO IT! Your PPOT Legend status will thereby be secured for eternity.

My 'Peligend' status is already secure for eternity i think. :)

I do not think a video of me falling 23 feet to win a bet would go over very well with workers comp, do you? ;)

If you're ever in philly and i have recovered from my work related injuries, i will gladly go out and teach you how to jump off a 2nd story roof and not get injured. I've only done it about 100 times in my life.

I'll also teach you how to get rammed by a charging minivan at WOT and not get killed as well, if you're interested. ;)

Here's what a typical "fall off ladder" looks like.

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Not much time to initiate the "twist" but then YMMV.

They (paratroopers) are in a controlled environment...

Again, having fallen out of a tree at about 20', I can tell you that when taken by surprise, you will not have any time to react - You have approx. 1.5 seconds until impact. BTW, I did not get injured, just a bit sore. I was lucky.

Rarely is the instance when a jumper (parachute) is not going to hit feet first. Falling out of a tree, chances of hitting the ground feet first is slim.

I had another fall in a controlled environment from 10+ feet while skiing in a half pipe. At about 26' I knew what was happening, I was flying out of the half pipe and at the apex in the air, I knew I was going to hit the flat on top of the pipe. I was able to get myself closer to the edge, but gravity at that point was against me and I hit the lip of the pipe. At that point I was no longer in control and in for the ride. The lip launched me into the pipe and I basically fell 20+ feet head first, landing on my right shoulder and head. I do not remember anything after hitting the lip of the pipe. The next thing I knew, I was opening my eyes, 5' feet from where I landed. As much training that I have had, there was nothing I could do. Period. I walked away with a mild concussion and tore all the ligaments in my shoulder.

Controlled environment?

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2587/could-you-jump-off-a-bridge-or-a-tall-building-and-survive-the-fall

"A prime example of the latter was a 17-year-old male who in 1979 leaped off the Golden Gate Bridge from a height of 250 feet. According to one report, "he recount[ed] a slowing of time initially, and mid-fall, when fully realizing the oncoming impact, strove to adjust his attitude to the vertical feet-first position. An almost perfect entry was achieved. Although dazed, he swam to shore" and checked into a hospital, where his worst injury turned out to be several cracked vertebrae. "

It appears that in some cases a higher height fall might actually be easier to survive, because it gives you time to right yourself before impact.

I agree that falling 10 feet from a ladder gives you very little time to right yourself, though i am sure it can be done (sometimes).

Please note i have not said "If you know how you can fall and NEVER be hurt."

What i said is that if you know how and fall right you CAN avoid injury. Not "will" avoid injury.

That chick could have actually rolled. She needed to tuck her left shoulder and extend her hands to absorb the initial shock(which she doesn't even do), but she could have greatly diminished the impact of that fall. Still would have hurt like a beotch though.