Report Number: 09-0000502
Report Date: 05/19/2009
Event Description
We were training on some rope rescue operations. I was going to be the rescuer on the end of a rope that was going to be put down in a well approximately 50 feet to retrieve a dummy that simulated a person who fell in a well. We were going to use the tripod and rig a harness around me, lower me into the well, then I was going to tie a makeshift harness around the dummy and bring it up with me. We started the exercises and I was placed in the harness, inverted, and sent down into the well head-first to retrieve the victim. After placing the makeshift harness on the victim and starting back up from the bottom the tripod broke. The tripod was over-weighted with both of us on the line at the same time and failed.
The issue was that I was hanging upside down and did not have a safety line in place. I had to hang upside down the entire time while they rigged a secondary line up to get me out. This took several minutes and I ended up cutting the line with a knife that attached the victim to me to release some of the pressure off of me while waiting. I ended up getting out of the well OK, without injury, but it definitely was not a fun time and could have turned out a lot different. We ended up losing a good life safety rope due to me cutting it to get the victim off of me. That was the only loss in the event but it could have been planned better.
Lesson Learned
Lesson learned was to always have a safety in place, even in training. Suggestions were to be more prepared in case something goes wrong. Actions to correct the situation include making sure to know the limitations of your equipment.
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