aerial rescue on access line

matteo

does anybody know how to do aerial rescue on a access line?

Jim Trouse

On the access line is it srt or footlock access line?? the answer would differ slightly depending on which one it is.

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Jim

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Therrin

How you'd approach this as a rescue (for example, what techniques you'd use, or even what gear you'd use) differ quite a bit depending upon the situation.

As mentioned earlier, what kind of situation is this? SRT, DRT, or even across a tryolean type of traverse? Or perhaps the person is only flipped in and isnt on a line?

Is this a site that you're already working and you're familiar with the equipment and climbers methods? or is it a site you're arriving at / driving past / getting called to?

What kind of tree is it? Massive pine or gum with plenty of tie off areas, or areas that could support the weight of 2 people, or is the material considerably smaller in diameter (not as strong)?

Is there ANY chance of a head injury? Is the person breathing? Do they need to be backboarded on the way down?


In EMT I learned that your response to a medical situation depends widely on what is happening, medically with the patient, but ALSO the environmental factors at play.

Giving a specific answer to the question as you posed it might only apply to a handfull of situations, but not others.


Maybe someone sees this differently though *shrugs*. I'd think in most cases you're looking to establish a reliable anchor for either 1 or 2 people, and belay/lower the person to the ground. Just in very general terms.

matteo

ok,sorry for not being more precise.
i was meaning rescue someone who was footlooking up an access line and has been hit,for example by a fallen branch,and is now hanging unconscious.

Therrin

Well that's complicated. If they're unconscious you need to get them down to the ground quickly and check airway/breathing/circulation.

However, if they were smacked in the head/face with a large chunk of something and knocked out, there could be spinal / cranial injury that could be aggravated by movement, or could even kill them if moved wrong.

So you're running a balance between spinal immobilization and basic medical needs in a situation with a ticking clock.

If SAR / Fire Dept / professional rescuers are like an hour out and you're the only one one the scene then you may have to make decisions about bringing someone to the ground and providing what basic aid you can even if it causes them injury in the process.

You picked a rough one.

MTS247

If they footlocked up then the line under the long footlock prussic should be slack.

Just put a rescue 8 on to the slack line below the prussic
Attach it to them
Cut/release the footlock prussic.

Use two wraps on the 8 for control and its good to have some sort of backup like a prussic or grigri incase you drop the line.

Also be easyer to both come down on the same line a fig8.

Do some rescue training.

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Weta

If this is in a competition, where you aren't allowed to cut the footlock prussic, then this is what I have seen done:

Under the footlock prussic where the climbing line is slack, tie an alpine butterfly knot on each side of the the doubled line. Put a carabiner through each butterfly and attach it to a pulley. If you don't have a pulley, then use two carabiners (position them with opposing gates). Get the climber's usual Ddrt climbing system that they should have ascended with attached to the side of their harness and run it through the pulley, clipping it onto their middle dee. You can now advance their climbing system prussic, taking their weight off the footlock prussic, and undo them from the footlock system. Now just slide them down as per usual on their own line.

matteo

cheers mate,this is what i was after.
do you know or does anyone know any other similar way?
say,for example,if the injuried person footlocked up without carring the Ddrt climbing sistem and you footlock up carring only one of these.
i tried with an inline anchor point(on my footlock prussik) and then i tried to use the counterweight metod but it didn't work.i think because i wasn't higher enough over the climber to rescue...i only tried once though.

Weta

If you and the victim aren't super high up, and you have a long enough climbing line, then you could pull up the tail of your line and just do what I said above using the old way of a closed bowline/prussic off the end of your tail for the victim's system.
The problem with the competition is that the rules state that you aren't allowed to bring down the dummy on the system that you are on. So you can't do a pick-off rescue at the world champs.

glennak

If they were climbing with a long prussic I would connect a pully above the knot tie a rope on it and pull them down by sliding the knot down.

Therrin

ohhhhh....ya'll didnt say it was a dummy. I'm surpised they aren't more worried about spinal immobilization for a "dummy" who's been hit in the head/face and is knocked unconscious.

The way they do it it just makes it seem like a game, like, who can do it the fastest, kinda thing.

Pat h

Speed Kills

I could be wrong but I have the impression that rescue personnel try not to become additional casualties.

Well trained , practised , efficient , carefull and not chasing the clock.

I personally worked with an Irishman who aquired a serious head injury while taking part in aerial rescue "training "
The training had turned into a speed competition. He missed his grip, fell ,his feet contacting a lower limb which flipped him from feet first to head first . He made contact with the solid ice below the tree. Hitting the back of his head and shoulder blade. I think the fall was only 15'. He was free climbing to the casualty with his rope attached to his saddle. His standard issue hard hat shattered providing little protection.

This prompted me to purchase the kevelar hard hat. Yes it is heavier but in a swing when we slam the side or rear of our head . A hard hat designed for impact from above with no strap ain't much help.

Cheers