Have you ever done something that damn near killed you.....

[widgeon13]

But you survived only with mucho discomfort?

I bought a new dock for the lake shore and was unloading from the delivery truck. The load was too high to get the top piece so we decided to try and take the two top pieces at the same time. This also was the full vertical extension of the reach on my tractor forks. Not a good idea as told in the operations manual.

Picked up the two pieces but the load shifted and came over the back of the fork backstop. Im guessing the dock pieces weigh 500 to 700 lbs a piece. Both pieces came back on me hitting me on the forearms and thighs and I was pinned for a few minutes until the delivery guy could struggle to get me free.

It was a completely stupid and foolish thing to try. I AM NOT LOOKING FOR SYMPATHY. I am more concerned with demonstrating how one can make such a stupid decision and in this case miss disaster. I am sore from head to toe. bad bruising and abrasion and some small cuts.

I am an EMT and a pilot and should know better about handling unsafe situations. For some reason it didn't register in this case. I am fortunate to be here to type this today. The results could have been much worse. I'm sharing this experience because i don't want anyone else to be stupid like me. You can criticize me if you like but please learn from my terrible mistake. Thanks
right thigh:

left hand

right forearm

right backside of leg

glancing blow off head


I spent Wed evening in the emergency room and had head CT, neck x-rays and both thighs e-rayed, plus blood work and tet shot. I am alive but very sore. As mentioned previously, a very fortunate person. I have learned my lesson.

[masraum]

Dude, you've lived to be old enough to have gray hair. You should know better. Glad you're OK and not in line for one of these: anyone else have this done to their leg?

We all have lapses in judgement either due to being in a rush or complacence, sometimes you're lucky, and sometimes you're lucky with a reminder to not be in a rush or get complacent. I think you got a reminder.

[timchar]

Very sorry to hear of your accident. So glad you are here to talk about it.
I think most all of us have done something similar. I know I've dodged death at least 3 times.
All we can continue to do is say or blessings and learn from it. Here's to a speedy and full recovery.
Tim

[pavulon]

Experience is something one has 30 seconds after really needing it.

Glad you've lived to tell the tale.

[widgeon13]

It could have been much worse, scares me to think about it. Thanks for your kind words.

The tractor survived with minimal damage, just a bent steering wheel.

[crustychief]

Oh my! I am glad you are still with us.
I n the mid 80s I was riding my CR 500 pretty fast and didn't notice I was heading for a wash, it was about 15 feet deep and 100 feet across. I unintentionally made it about 50 feet across, helicopter ride, hospital, compound fractures right thumb and right shin. I was young and invincible then but now it takes so long to heal I try not to do stupid stuff anymore.


I guess with the downtime you have you can study some load charts for your tractor.

[billybek]

I have performed lots of heavy lifts that I probably shouldn't have.
In every case my spider senses were tingling.... In every case I would check, recheck and check again all my rigging and plan out the lift.

Never had an accident where I had dropped anything but my apprentices quickly learned that if I looked nervous during a lift, they should be at least as nervous or more.

Glad you are OK. You made a mistake and thankfully didn't pay for it with your life or the lives of others.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Ouch! Many times my impatience or determination have gotten the better of me, typically it doesn't end well.

[Joe Bob]

Anything with wheels, doesn't have to have a motor.....6 times I should have died....got the scars and limp to prove it.

[recycled sixtie]

Many years ago a farmer told me this true story of when he was working underneath his car in his garage at the farm. Those were the days when he used to wear a tie.
His car was jacked up and the engine was running. He was lying underneath and whatever was running picked up his tie. The tie tightened up enough to stall the motor.

His wife came running out and found her husband snugged up to to the engine/driveshaft. He considered himself very lucky it did not kill him.

[Baz]

Ouch! Glad you got through it, Widgeon.

That's the important thing...survival!

Add this now to all the other "stories" you can tell.

We've all done stupid and careless things and I suspect we all have battle scars to prove it.

Welcome to the fold....and get well soon!

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by pavulon

Experience is something one has 30 seconds after really needing it.

Perfect.

There are some really clumsy doofuses on this board

In my world, irrespective of my experiences, rules of thumb, common sense, I am forever about a a chip and a putt away from doing something really stupid.

Glad is wasn't more serious!

[masraum]

Oh, just FYI, you are a lightweight at narrowly escaping death and dismemberment. The master is Johnco. If anyone has ever seen the movie Unbreakable, I think it was written about Johnco. That guys got more lives than a herd of cats.

[jorian]

"Confidence". That feeling you have before you fully grasp the gravity of your situation.

[rusnak]

It could have been worse.

https://youtu.be/8cAghTQ8q9s

[Evans, Marv]

That was a scary experience. Glad you came out of it with a minimum of injuries compared to what could have happened. I've always tried to minimize exposure to sketchy situations but had one experience long ago related to bad judgement. I scuba dived from the late '50s. In the late '60s, I accompanied a buddy to Punta Banda in Baja for a research project collecting gas samples from the bottom of the bay. I had my original regulator and had it serviced at the beginning of each season. This was earlier than normal and I took the old regulator with me. He chartered a boat and after reaching the area, we went overboard. About ten feet down, my regulator seized up. I drew a hard breath and it freed up, so I went on down. Everything was fine until at about 70 ft., it seized up again and would not free up. Had to do a partial blow & go and buddy breathe to the surface. I should have stopped when I first had the problem but didn't want to blow the whole thing.

[widgeon13]

Thanks to all for respecting my stupidity. Yes, it could have been much worse and while I'm not big on miracles, someone was looking out for me three days ago. I will make certain not to place myself in that situation again.

[JD159]

Notice how nobody mentions anything about darwin awards if they know the person? Accidents and foolish things happen -- to everyone.

Glad you are ok.

[widgeon13]

Originally Posted by JD159

Notice how nobody mentions anything about darwin awards if they know the person? Accidents and foolish things happen -- to everyone.

Glad you are ok.

Believe me, it has entered my mind quite a few times in the last 3 days!

[cashflyer]

Lot's of smart people have done dumb things.
They are usually guys.
Sometimes guys with beer.

But we've all been there.