Alex Black

[goodaking]

My condolences. Very sad news.

 

[Jlstreeservice]

Thanks for sharing Mark, so sorry and RIP

 

[chris_girard]

Damn, I am so sorry to hear this Mark. "Last Cut Syndrome" strikes again, as Don Blair would say.

 

[chris_girard]

We have to keep trying to teach the younger gen. about the hazards. I am so sick and tired of hearing about these deaths.

Do you guys read the accident reports in TCIA Mag each month? It's fucking sickening!

 

[treehumper]

We need to enforce our rules and refs. No more debating which ones we will follow and which ones are too inconvenient. If you own a company make it a pre-condition of work. Build that safety margin into your price so you can in fact afford to be safety first. Production isn’t negatively impacted by safe work practices.

 

[oldoakman]

Thoughts and prayers to the family.

 

[Mark Chisholm]

My condolences to his family and all who knew him, I'm so sorry.

Osha says everything looked normal... soo is that it? Investigation is over and nobody learns how this happened? Hopefully there's more to follow.

He visited the buzz briefly too. http://www.treebuzz.com/forum/threads/hey-alex-black-here-new-to-tree-buzzz.32343/

If anyone hears news of a fundraiser or something like that for his family please let me know.

He did I know. It was new to him at a time when Instagram was big in his life. Wish he was here more.

 

[Mark Chisholm]

Very sad news, my condolences to his family and friends. R.I.P. Alex

Thank you brother.

 

[Mark Chisholm]

We have to keep trying to teach the younger gen. about the hazards. I am so sick and tired of hearing about these deaths.

Do you guys read the accident reports in TCIA Mag each month? It's fucking sickening!

I do and you're right!

 

[TreeCo]

So sorry to hear it.

 

[Mark Chisholm]

Alex's service info for anyone that wants to pay respects:
Alex Black

 

[Mark Chisholm]

So the latest info I have is that Alex may have come over top of a spar when rigging because initial ideas are that his lanyard was clipped to both sides. Some have discussed that he might have had his line burned by the rigging line and didn't know. I'm not sure that we will ever know.

 

[Stihlmadd]

I can say with pride that I counted Alex as one of my friends.
He had a no nonsense approach to climbing including always two points of attachment.
what ever did happen I am confident was not due to negligence on his part.
We were joking with each other on friday about a job he had just completed,
He will be sadly missed.
Ben.

 

[peder-d]

I am so sorry to read about this horrible accident! My thoughts go to his family!

 

[JontreeHI]

Didn’t know him, but my family and I are thinking about him and his friends and family.

 

[chris_girard]

So the latest info I have is that Alex may have come over top of a spar when rigging because initial ideas are that his lanyard was clipped to both sides. Some have discussed that he might have had his line burned by the rigging line and didn't know. I'm not sure that we will ever know.

Oh Mark, I am sorry to read this.

I am trying to picture this. Did he have a lanyard and climb limb around his TIP. Was his lanyard tied adjacent to his rigging point with his climb line either above or below it?

I'm just trying to wrap my head around this accident.

Thanks for the updates, and again, condolences my friend.

 

[Mark Chisholm]

Oh Mark, I am sorry to read this.

I am trying to picture this. Did he have a lanyard and climb limb around his TIP. Was his lanyard tied adjacent to his rigging point with his climb line either above or below it?

I'm just trying to wrap my head around this accident.

Thanks for the updates, and again, condolences my friend.

Honestly Chris I don't have those answers. To best of anyones memory he did have his lanyard on and was secured with a climbing line in some fashion. If I hear more I'll be glad to share.

 

[pctree]

This really sucks to read. Bottomline is we have an inherently dangerous job and random shit happens. Years ago I fell 37 feet due to a handled rope ascender cam coming off after a tiny circlip came off and the pin fell out. It wasn't backed up which was dumb but this was before I was on the forums so didn't know better. This year one of my guys tripped on a vine and cut his leg with 371.

Shit happens, only thing I can say is we should be paid better so there's less pressure to rock it out. Even so I guess that wouldn't have negated my stuff as it wasn't due to rushing..

Let me know if there is a fund set up for the family

 

[chris_girard]

Honestly Chris I don't have those answers. To best of anyones memory he did have his lanyard on and was secured with a climbing line in some fashion. If I hear more I'll be glad to share.

Thanks Mark. I knew Alex, and this has been killing me all week, since you told us about it. I have been super vigilant with my crew is past week since this has happened and will keep harping on them about safety.

Hopefully, some of it will sink in....we can only hope.

 

[Daniel]

Sounds like he may have been tied in with only single tie in: lanyard or climbing line, and had it above the sling. And just maybe that wasn't his normal MO. He may have been cutting a corner because it was his last cut and he was looking forward to getting out of the hooks... Then for either spar shaking or his stepping up to prep for untying the sling the lanyard, single tie in slipped over top of spar.

While that is all speculation, it's safe to say there had to be a mental error. And once again a grim reminder of our human fragility. It only takes the smallest of mental errors: take your mind off what you are doing for a second or two and fatality is a very real possibility. It doesn't seem fair, but that is way things are in this business.

A word of advice for the living, from my tree climbing mentor, Big Jon Grier ... Hone your system so that you dial in all the repetitive actions in climbing and rigging. Do it exactly the same every time. That way it becomes like tying your shoes.. It's automatic, you don't have to think about it... So you'll never screw it up and its fast and easy and you don't have to think about it, which frees up a little mental space for not having to make that many more decisions throughout the day...

My personal preference was to keep the lanyard directly below the sling, so that it was high enough that it block wouldn't touch it when loaded, and keep the climbing line above the sling, but that is just a preference. More important is to just get a good method and stick with it always.

We should have a party for Alex. Seems like I should have known him. He lived just a few miles from here. Invite every arborist around.. If anyone want to organize it, Ill cover the hall rental...