Man injured in fall at downtown Ann Arbor's underground parking structure construction site
Ann Arbor firefighters rescue a man who fell and hit his head Tuesday morning at the parking deck under construction on South Fifth Avenue between East Liberty and East William, next to the Ann Arbor District Library. Huron Valley Ambulance transported the man to the University of Michigan Hospital at about 9:10 a.m.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
Ann Arbor Fire Official Craig Sidelinger said firefighters used a crane and a rescue basket to get the man out of the site.
The rescue workers were called to the construction site at 8:42 a.m., Sidelinger said, with five engines and 20 fire personnel and Huron Valley Ambulance responding. The man was removed from the underground site by about 9:10 a.m.
HVA took the man to the University of Michigan Hospital. The extent of any injury is not determined.
The man fell backward an estimated 3 feet after catching his pants on a piece of steel reinforcing rod, said Kevin Cook, a battalion chief for the fire department. Cook assisted with the rescue.
The type of rescue is standard on a large construction site, he said.
The parking deck is being built on South Fifth Avenue between East Liberty and East William, next to the Ann Arbor District Library.
This morning's rescue is the second this year at the site. In March, two workers were hospitalized when a metal wall collapsed.
Comments
BornNRaised
Thu, Oct 20, 2011 : 5:15 p.m.
From those of us in this industry that train on this all the time, share experience from other departments in the US at conferences, and were simply there... I just want to thank those of you who have no training in this field and weren't there giving us your 'expert' opinions on how to do the job. You have no idea how much comic relief you provide for those of us that do this type of thing for a living. Thanks again, and please feel free to forward your expert 'attack plans' to the fire chief.
Ricebrnr
Wed, Oct 19, 2011 : 2:45 p.m.
And your expertise in this is....? It would be nice to know how you came by your learned opinion, that we may weigh your opinion for ourselves....
toquestion
Wed, Oct 19, 2011 : 2:13 p.m.
"Five engines, 20 fire personnel" to an accident three blocks away that was the result of a three foot fall!!! You've got to be kidding. A response of this type is completely unnecessary. More like it would be one engine, five fire personnel, and Huron Valley Ambulance. Sounds like someone panicked and decided to make this event a clear case of incompetence. Topgun
Matt Cooper
Thu, Oct 20, 2011 : 2:46 a.m.
Are you a rescue expert? If not you haven't a clue what is necessary and what is not, especially in light of the fact that YOU WEREN'T PART OF THE RESCUE TEAM IN THE FIRST PLACE!
Ricebrnr
Wed, Oct 19, 2011 : 1:39 p.m.
Want more info on deployment protocols? The info is out there... <a href="http://www.emich.edu/cerns/downloads/papers/FireStaff/Tactical" rel='nofollow'>http://www.emich.edu/cerns/downloads/papers/FireStaff/Tactical</a> Operations/The Impact of Inadequate Staffing on Initial Fire Attack at the Pittsfield Township Fire Department.pdf <a href="http://www.fdnntv.com/International-Association-of-Fire-Fighters-Fights-for-Staffing" rel='nofollow'>http://www.fdnntv.com/International-Association-of-Fire-Fighters-Fights-for-Staffing</a> <a href="http://iafflocal738.org/index.cfm?Section=0&PageNum=160" rel='nofollow'>http://iafflocal738.org/index.cfm?Section=0&PageNum=160</a> <a href="http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-162/issue-8/features/fire-department-staffing-a-need-not-a-want.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-162/issue-8/features/fire-department-staffing-a-need-not-a-want.html</a>
OLDTIMER3
Wed, Oct 19, 2011 : 12:36 p.m.
It seems just the emergency response team and HVA would have been enough without all the fire engines and crew.
Ricebrnr
Wed, Oct 19, 2011 : 1:03 p.m.
With apologies to Ms. Lesko, who actually runs a very informative site with actual in depth reporting. Unfortunately a metro beat with more timely content is not her site's forte.
Ricebrnr
Wed, Oct 19, 2011 : 12:50 p.m.
It would seem that way...for the paltry story as it is written. In reality, this was a highly technical rescue on an active and ongoing construction site. TO Sidelinger provided much more detail to the reporter than what ended up "in print". Can't say if what was left out was the reporter's decision or the editors but what remains is...well there's been plenty of comments on that. Ask for an update and the whole story. Our officers in both departments would love for some actual reporting to be done but there is no local outlet that can do it. As ridiculous as the reporting is here, unfortunately they still beat out the other local outlets for speed and new content.
Ricebrnr
Wed, Oct 19, 2011 : 2:31 a.m.
To all of you wondering about this and other call outs, have you considered asking a firefighter? TO Sidelinger is a wonderfully approachable and engaging individual who would be happy to discuss it if you are truly interested. I got the story straight from him this evening and as usual the coverage here even with the updates is woefully lacking. Let me add a couple more things he reminded me of tonight. Hey you remember all those police cuts? The amount of Police on the street at anyone time? Well on a scene like this during rush hour, downtown, who is managing traffic and crowd control if there are no available police? Where they might have sent an engine home those guys are managing traffic and crowds instead. Also if the rescuers need rescuing, who do they call? Are they supposed to wait for another engine to arrive? No, regulations demand that they have a relief crew on stand by to rotate firefighters out for rest as well as for safety, not just rescue. Considering the amount of interest and debate on this site, it amazes me that AA.com has not done more in-depth reporting and as for the rest, the information is out there for the asking.
Ricebrnr
Wed, Oct 19, 2011 : 12:44 p.m.
I agree, as I mentioned this would be a great investigative report for a reporter wouldn't it? A simple FOIA request and a spreadsheet of data point would be very telling. Doesn't seem like AA.com is interested anytime soon though. As for dispatching police with fire, not sure if that is SOP in AA though it does seem sensible, I'll have to ask. Perhaps I should reiterate, there were no available officers at the time of this incident to provide those services. When TO Sidelinger told me what happened it was with a representative of our PD there. They did not dispute this statement. And finally I am not a representative or affiliated with our city in any way. I make no "official" statements for any of our safety services. I asked and am relaying the information as a concerned citizen, just like most of you.
Goober
Wed, Oct 19, 2011 : 11:01 a.m.
Is this the official position of the fire department? It seems to me that the most efficient use of valuable skills would be to dispatch a police person at the same time of the needed emergency. This would leave fire personnel and equipment at their station on standby. Also, I would like more information made public on the comment of the relief crew for rotation also at the scene of the rescue. No need for me to ask when many of the public would like to know the answers to these same questions and concerns.
Tom Teague
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 8:14 p.m.
As long as fires weren't raging unextinguished elsewhere in the city, I'm really okay with the number of firemen who showed up. Running some algorithm to gauge the exact number needed isn't something I want the fire dispatchers doing in a potentially life-threatening emergency.
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 8:27 p.m.
I want some sort of logical estimation of need. Otherwise why not send every available truck and man to every call as long as there isn't a raging unextinguished fire somewhere else? I could probably conjure up some Rube Goldberg scenario where a cat in a tree could results in the National Guard getting called out.
Bonsai
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 8:02 p.m.
how about this for a followup -- there have been two injuries on this project -- there have been a number of deaths at U-M construction projects in the past couple of years -- are there different safety practices going on at the various projects?
janeqdoe
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 8:36 p.m.
Actually, there have been more than two injuries. Not all have been reported on annarbor.com.
Marilyn Wilkie
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 7:47 p.m.
I sincerely hope that he comes out of this with no permanent injuries. I know someone who fell off of his pickup truck and broke both of his wrists. Anything can happen, even with a short fall and especially when you hit your head. I have no problem with any number of responders. I'm sure they are able to respond to another emergency professionally and with speed.
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 7:07 p.m.
"Ann Arbor Fire Official Craig Sidelinger said firefighters used a crane and a rescue basket to get the man out of the site." where did the crane come from? was it a job-site crane or was it a fire department crane? And as a side I don't think its an inherently bad thing to wonder if 20 fire fighters and 5 trucks was overkill or not.
AACity12
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 6:17 p.m.
With this type of rescue where you are craining someone out of a potentially unstable hole wouldn't it be better to have a few extra hands there in case you need them rather then have to call for more help and wait for them to come screaming across town. Or if there are more cuts have to wait for them to come from Pittsfield Township.
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 7:33 p.m.
I think the question is how many are too many? Are you going to send large numbers of people in to a "potentially unstable hole"? I'm just asking. And if there were 5 trucks and 20 firefighters at the site how many does that leave at the various stations around town? What if someone across town has a heart attack or a car accident or or or... Have they been put at potential additional risk? Maybe 5 trucks and 20 men is the right amount but it sure seems like a lot to some of us civilians. The thing is when anyone dares ask the question mostly they don't get an explanation of why 20 men and 5 trucks were needed rather they get the standard...are you a fireman? have you ever been a fireman? have you ever visited the fire station?
63Townie
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 6:14 p.m.
Ann Arbor.com, is it really necessary to spell out in detail how many firefighters and vehicles responded? You have turned this into a story about AAFD's response and not about the incident itself. Nice red herring.
Bonsai
Wed, Oct 19, 2011 : 3:29 p.m.
I agree with you -- they should include that info in all public safety reporting.
63Townie
Wed, Oct 19, 2011 : 3:01 p.m.
Bonsai, my point was that a2.com doesn't report police incidents the same way. Use yesterday's story of a shooting as an example. Why not report incidents the same UNLESS you want people to question AAFD's response?
Bonsai
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 8 p.m.
this is a standard practice for a news organization -- as in, who, what, when, where and why -- what would you think if she said "several firefighters and engines responded to the scene"? -- you'd probably be kvetching about how lazy the reporting was
Ron Granger
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 6:04 p.m.
If Ann Arbor hadn't cut the public safety budget, we could have had more firefighters and police on the streets. This accident probably wouldn't have happened because they would have been there to catch the guy. Isn't that what we hear whenever there is a crime, fire or accident?
Smart Logic
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 8:20 p.m.
No. Attempting to apply satire to an injury of unknown proportion is not what we want to hear.
Mike
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 6 p.m.
Rumor has it that OSHA will most likely add a new rule that everyone wear a safety harness and be tied off so falling is no longer a possibility..........
Bob Martel
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 5:50 p.m.
Was this man a legitimate worker on the site or a trespasser? Not that I would wish this accident on any person, but I'd be doubly concerned about site security if this was a trespasser who had somehow gained access to an active construction site while construction was in process.
Ricebrnr
Wed, Oct 19, 2011 : 1:06 p.m.
The unfortunate victim was a construction worker doing his job at the time of the incident.
FireTimes
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 5:18 p.m.
@racerx: If you would truly like a detailed answer to your questions in regards to any fire related response, instead of posting on an Internet Message Board you could stop in the HQ of your local Department, or contact the On-Duty Officer and ask.
Ricebrnr
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 5:15 p.m.
hmm I wonder if this project will be Ann Arbor's Great Wall, with blood mixed into the mortar and people buried beneath.... LOL ok ok overly dramatic.
cleanup
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 5:08 p.m.
I think this is at least the 6th incident connected to this construction project. Previous incidents are: 1). a child fell into a sink hole near the fence between the UMCU and the construction site. 2). on 3/24/11 another sinkhole appeared behind Jerusalem Garden next to the site 3). a worker fell 20-30 feet 4). Part of the Library wall near the site collapsed 5). Another worker was hurt and removed on a backboard. Reports were that this took place near a stack of rebar on 5th ave. Is this an unusual amount of accidents or is this par for the course for such a project?
BornNRaised
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 4:29 p.m.
For those questioning the response, AAFD'S original dispatch information on the nature of the call was far more catastrophic than a 3' fall. Keep in mind you're questioning the response after it's all over. This was more than just a little 3' fall. AAFD doesn't have the luxury of reading about calls after the fact THEN deciding what amount of personnel are needed.
racerx
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 5 p.m.
@BornNRaised-Thanks, "What type of radio response is given to notify each engine department as to what type of rescue is needed, to determine if they'll be needed or not?" Herein lies my point.
Tru2Blu76
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 4:13 p.m.
I'll try to contact my expert fire & rescue nephew (he works in another county) about this. I really think he'll say this AAFD response was guided by long-standing statistical analysis and established national standards. In other words, I'm pretty sure he'd confirm the statement from AAFD on their response. For anyone doubting the "need" - fire and rescue must be based on an "massive standing force" response capability, as is the entire military of the United States. In other words: it's high cost, high maintenance but UNIVERSALLY WANTED. Ever hear of the phrase, "Better safe than sorry?" Also: this accident is not the kind that concerns safety experts over-much. A lot is done to train construction workers to "be more careful" but, like a lot of these things, it's an individual's break-down. I give more attention to the accidents on that site which involve walls collapsing, other structural failures and equipment malfunction. The scale and ambition of this project is impressive. Just keeping a hole in the ground that large open is a challenge over the time it takes to complete the project. I doubt that most people stop to consider (or appreciate) that.
bunnyabbot
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 3:30 p.m.
a few reasons to be cautious. wrenching your back, falling awkardly often does this. Sometimes it is several days before you begin to be sore hitting your head, your neck might not finish swelling up for several days, spinal damage can happen days after the accident. concussion, sometimes not noticable at first. I've fallen before and felt fine only to be sore the next day. I am glad they had emergency come and get him and I hope he will be alright. ps. I hate the big did and will never use an underground parking structure. I don't know one female who will, all I ever here among the woman I know is rapist on the loose or not, underground structures are not safe for woman.
bunnyabbot
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 4:09 p.m.
*big dig
try your best
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 3:14 p.m.
@racerx, are you a professional firefighter? Why would you question the firefighters motives in these calls? These men and women put them selves in harms way everyday and to question their motives like this shows you have no respect for their service. I understand staffing levels have been debated but there should never be a single question raised as to the motives of these brave souls and what there intent is. Pure and simple they go to help another person in need. how many firefighters are needed should not be your concern!
try your best
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 5:20 p.m.
@racerx, If, "seems like overkill to justify their existence" isn't questioning their motive i don't know what you could have ment by that remark.
try your best
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 5:16 p.m.
@goobar, Taxpayers have the right to question why that many firefighters were needed at the scene. I took away from it that he was implying firefighters were embellishing what was really needed at the scene, and without being educated in the field he didn't have the right to ask that question. my opinion
Ricebrnr
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 5:13 p.m.
Racerx, Those other trucks were en route with the preliminary call. That they arrived after the fire had been extinguished is a testament to the on scene firefighter's abilities, NOT their response time or their numbers. As mentioned in other threads, fire spreads greatly every minute. A small fire under the wrong conditions may have required more personnel. Waiting for one truck to try their hand and fail BEFORE calling in another and another is not the right call to make. Lastly, let's not forget that each AA truck has a max of 3 people in it. Those 5 trucks equal only about 15 people. If there are at least 2 men per hose, that's only 5 hoses in play and 5 remaining men for...search and rescue? emergency medical support...? You move the pieces around and anyway you put it, that's not a whole lot of people power and no one is clairvoyant enough to say, this fire ONLY needs x people so only send out x trucks.
racerx
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 4:58 p.m.
@try your best-I'm not questioning the firefigthers motives I'm questioning the response of five trucks which is occurring more often to incidents where one truck would suffice. Example, a basement fire was put out within 4-6min upon the first truck arriving, though four other trucks arrived. Again, if there is a fire shortly after one of these trucks are on the other side of town, then the response time will be greatly diminished.
Goober
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 3:33 p.m.
As tax payers, we have a right to question why so many showed up. For educational purposes, this would be good to know if it was based on faulting to the safe side to insure any issue encountered could be quickly addressed, or to keep the whole team together should another emergency arise, or other reasons.
Paul Taylor
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 3:05 p.m.
The article, as it exists now (11am) is substantially updated from the article many people have replied to, ergo the initial "he fell three feet?!?!?" responses. Given the lack of information in the original article, these reactions were understandable, and indicated a need for more information. Thus, the update. However, I believe it is customary, in such circumstances, to indicate such a change by including a note along the lines of "this article was updated at 10:45am, in order to provide more information on the nature of the injuries sustained." But, what do *I* know, I only majored in theatre...
abc
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 2:55 p.m.
"... after catching his pants on a piece of steel reinforcing rod." Have you ever noticed that these "steel reinforcing rods" sometimes have caps on them. They make construction sites very dangerous places. Falling zero feet (just to your level your feet are standing on) can result in serious injury when you have pointy things sticking up around you. And then there's the fact that the building they are building is well... not finished. Therefore the floors are not complete. Maybe he fell into a space between walls or into a hole. There are so many ways to get hurt there.
Goofus
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 2:53 p.m.
The Endless Nightmare Continues... The city better call in an Exorcist to cleanse the bad mojo from this site when it finally opens in the late 2020's.
deeb
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 2:41 p.m.
It's a good thing that he is not from Brighton Mi. the cops would have given him a ticket or arrested him for somthing
janeqdoe
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 8:33 p.m.
Huh?
Peter
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 2:27 p.m.
KE = 1/2 mv^2. A 150lb man falling 3 feet has about the same energy as a .45 cartridge right after it's fired.
Smart Logic
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 8:18 p.m.
say it plain, you're right on. All we can do for now is hope the worker is okay or makes a full recovery, so in the meantime we can put the "3 feet" into perspective. I was skeptical about Peter's comparison initially but did the math and he's spot on. Here comes the science!
say it plain
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 3:57 p.m.
This exchange is too funny... It sorta sums up Ann Arbor energy in a way: part nerdy talk about, like, *physics* forces... and part talk about *political* forces... with a sprinkle of (attempted? realized? some of each?) rhetorical force... It adds precisely that j'ne sais quoi to the rest of the comments to this story lol...
Smart Logic
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 3:01 p.m.
Ron, are you for real? Peter was making a good comparison to force delivered by firearms. He wasn't advocating for guns. Don't push your anti-gun talk on us, please.
Ron Granger
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 3 p.m.
It so often comes back to guns, doesn't it? If he'd been armed, he might not have been a victim of that piece of steel.
Smart Logic
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 2:59 p.m.
Pretty close, actually. This guy gained 450ft/lb of force, assuming 3ft and 150lbs. Many 230gr .45ACP rounds pick up 400-500ft/lb at muzzle. sqrt(2*g*y) which is sqrt(2*32*3) for feet which is ~13.86 ft/s velocity at impact over 3 feet. 0.5(150/32)*(13.86^2) = 450ft/lb Additionally, it's potentially spread out over a much larger area than a .45 ACP would impact. That being said, had his head been the primary point of impact, it could cause serious damage. I don't want to detract from that.
jen
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 2:18 p.m.
I pray he will be ok....3 feet or 30 feet hitting your head can cause damage and a lot of pain...lets not worry how many feet, how bout lets worry about this hard working man that fell and was obviously hurt!!!
razzelroze
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 2:18 p.m.
Well that stinks. Poor guy. I knew a guy who was in a coma for weeks after slipping and falling in the tub, so, yeah. Falling 3' backwards onto concrete? Ouch.
justthings
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 2:09 p.m.
I hope all the above have never slipped on the ice and hit their heads. Quite similar to falling three feet! Can be very serious with a closed head injury. We all would like the help if this was us.
racerx
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 2:04 p.m.
"The type of rescue is standard on a large construction site, he said", Battalion Chief Cook. Five engines? 20 fire personnel for one person that fell 3ft? Again, five trucks? What if there was a fire in one of those engines area, say on the other side of town. Could they provide an adequate response time? Spare me comments about I would want as many fire fighters to help me, what about the fire that could possibly rage out of control due to an over response for one person who fell 3ft? What type of radio response is given to notify each engine department as to what type of rescue is needed, to determine if they'll be needed or not? This has occurred with at least the last three fire department responses in the city this year, whereas, all five engines responded. Seems like overkill to justify their existence. Question still remains; are there too many fire figthers or not enough in the city.
Jack
Thu, Oct 20, 2011 : 6:30 p.m.
I see the firefighters and police are commenting today with the usual politeness. Good grief. It's disturbing to know what good wishes someone has for someone who doesn't worship them. People of that nature should not be in what is essentially a helping profession. In the long run, they could pose a danger to someone.
emsmedic
Wed, Oct 19, 2011 : 9:26 p.m.
Look at it this way: Why did he fall in the first place? Did he slip, was he struck by something (say a crane), did he have a medical emergency, or did he blunder into a toxic atmosphere? He is underground, after all. Where did he land? Is he pinned or buried? Did an excavation collapse on him? All involved were fortunate that it was a relatively uncomplicated rescue. Here's just a few of the tasks that must be completed: Incident command, air monitoring, utility/site control, patient access (not always as simple as it sounds), possible shoring, possible trench/confined space rescue, just to name a few. All of these are labor intensive and require backup teams and relief/support/safety personnel to comply with OSHA and other applicable federal standards. Be glad Ann Arbor Fire handled it professionally. Most communities would have to call for specialty rescue teams (usually far away) to handle a rescue like this.
racerx
Wed, Oct 19, 2011 : 4:22 p.m.
@Matt Cooper-your vile is quite poisonous today (yesterday). Check out the fire at Bryant School yesterday. One fire truck. Fire out within 6min upon arriving. If this is standard procedure, then why was only one truck sent and not all five? It's a school! Children could inhale smoke, e.t.c. Again, my point. When and how is the decision is made to send as many trucks needs to be reviewed. A basement fire all five trucks were sent when the fire was out before at least two of the other trucks arrived from other parts of the city. This fire at Bryant school, only one truck was used. One was all that was needed. So, on the surface there seems to be some questions answered as to the level of manpower needed at various fires, and maybe better information dispatched as to the severity of the fire before all five trucks are sent.
try your best
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 5:31 p.m.
@racerx, Newsflash, the most serious fire is the one your on not the one that might happen at some point in the future.
Matt Cooper
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 5:11 p.m.
No, I saw that part, I just didn't care. If you post here you should expect people to comment as they see fit, not as you do. You don't have the right to dictate what others can or cannot comment on. Sorry. Secondly, if you're so good at triaging emergency scenarios and deciding what is an appropriate level of response in any given situation (personally I think it pretty silly to second guess the people that get paid to do these things because A. they most likely have far more training and experience than you or I do, and B. they obviously have far more information on these emergent situations than you or I), maybe you might consider contacting the fire department about applying for the job of fire chief, or maybe A2 might be looking for some sort of emergency coordinator. Oh and while I'm here...Did you take that tumble off the table yet? I'm wondering what your injuries might be.
racerx
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 4:54 p.m.
@Matt Cooper-guess you missed the part about spare me the comments about wanting as many fire fighters to help me. Regardless of if I've ever been in this type of rescue or not, point being, is that the fire dept has sent every available truck on duty from all of the five depts scattered across town to what seemingly are minor fires. A basement fire was put out upon the first truck arriving within 4-6 minutes, while the other trucks arrived. My point is that this is occurring often, and if there were a more serious fire at the same time on the side of town where this truck is missing, serious damage could result in life or property.
Matt Cooper
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 2:26 p.m.
Have you ever been on scene of a rescue such as this? Ever worked as a firefighter or medic? Ever had to go into the bottom of an excavation and perform a rescue such as this? If not, then you have not a clue as to what all is involved. I would much rather have too many rescue personell and the fall victim survive than to have too few and a life is lost. Maybe you might consider finding out who the guy was and giving his wife a call telling her you think there were too many people there to rescue her husband. You know, just to see how she feels about your thoughts. Secondly, here's a challenge for you: I want you to stand on top of a three foot high table or platform. Then I want you lay back and let yourself fall straight onto the floor, making sure to hit the back of your head. Let me know how it feels. You should be able to do this and be okay, right? I mean three feet is nothing...right?
TheGerman
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 1:45 p.m.
If you catch your pants on something and fall backwards, it's very likely he hit his head or landed awkwardly. 3 feet can do a lot of damage.
Wolf's Bane
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 1:20 p.m.
The man fell an estimated three feet! What the heck? All this for three feet? Sure it is not around 30 feet?
ThaKillaBee
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 1:20 p.m.
Three feet??
Scott
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 2:16 p.m.
Sorry, I didn't see your second post. Guess I need some empathy too.
Scott
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 2:14 p.m.
The guy was injured. Doesn't matter if it was three feet or thirty feet. Try a little empathy.
ThaKillaBee
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 2:01 p.m.
Okay, I retract this comment. I imagine falling backward off my desk would hurt a lot. My sympathies are with this guy.
smokeblwr
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 1:19 p.m.
He fell three feet and had to be rescued? Is this right? Weird!!
smokeblwr
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 2:09 p.m.
Well, there are more details in the article now. Seems that it could be dangerous given how he fell, but that is still quite a response from the fire dept.
Cheri
Tue, Oct 18, 2011 : 1:46 p.m.
Three feet down and backwards without catching oneself and hitting one's head? Yes, that can make sense. Take in the average male height and add three feet to that. That's more like 9 feet. He could have a serious head, neck or spinal injury. Add into it that this is at a construction site where it could be hard to get to a person with a serious head, neck or spinal injury.....