3 Cell Tower Workers Injured in Norman, OK

3 Cell Tower Workers Injured in Norman, OK

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Norman, OK Cell Tower Accident

Three workers were injured Tuesday morning when they fell while performing maintenance on a cell phone tower near University Boulevard and Highland Parkway. Norman Deputy Fire Chief Jim Bailey said one of the workers apparently passed out while working nearly 120 feet up the tower. One ascended, attempting to help him, but the workers ended up descending rapidly, coming to an abrupt halt just 20 feet above the ground.  Bailey said the two slammed into the tower after the rapid descent. Two of the workers were taken to OU Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. One was transported to Norman Regional Hospital in stable condition, he said. “One lost a tremendous amount of blood,” Bailey said, explaining why crews were spraying down the area with fire hoses. “They’re DE-conning (decontaminating), washing the blood down.”

Firefighters and rescue personnel were called about 10:45 a.m. Tuesday. It took about 45 minutes for crews to perform the high-angle rescue. Bailey said high-angle rescues are not very common and are not situations they rush in to.

“We don’t just rush in and fly up the pole,” he said.

We are happy that these climbers appear to have survived, and will recover from their ordeal. But I have one question. What descent device would you guess they were using in this situation? What device does your trainer or training company recommend?

Anyone?

 

 

3 Comments
  • Luis Elebario
    Posted at 06:34h, 04 September Reply

    Our tower work and rescue team uses a Petzl ID (industrial descender), is dummy proof will not free fall like this rescuer seem to have done. Training is the key to success, we train several times a year to prevent this type of accident from happening. These skills are perishable and if not trained on continuously they will be lost.

  • Will
    Posted at 22:02h, 03 September Reply

    Subscribed….I would also like to know what device they were using.

  • Kaila
    Posted at 17:18h, 03 September Reply

    Guessing Fisk Descender instead of using a Petzl ID.

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