Posted on 11/30/2010 9:14:05 PM PST by libh8er
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — A southern New Jersey man has died after he fell while stringing Christmas lights on his roof.
Authorities did not immediately release the name of the 59-year-old man in Washington Township.
The Courier-Post of Cherry Hill reported the man was found lying unconscious in his driveway around 5 p.m. Sunday. A ladder was propped against the garage roof and his hat was left on the roof. Lights were half strung along the home’s second story.
The man was pronounced dead at Kennedy Memorial Hospital.
Police say an average of one person a year in the town dies while setting up holiday decorations.
Be careful when climbing up the ladder to string lights up around the roof.
Sad. I’ve worked on tall ladders for the last twenty-something years, and I know firsthand how hazardous climbing roofs can be.
Need your gutters worked on? Don’t try it. Call me instead.
One a Year seems unusually high. One every several years would be bad enough,
We must ban "holiday" decorations.
Fatal stupidity.
There are a great number of things that should not be done alone: hiking, surfing, ocean swimming and doing anything that requires a ladder.
But it wasn’t so dumb that many guys haven’t done the same.
Prayers for the family.
“Police say an average of one person a year in the town dies while setting up holiday decorations.”
????
“Police say an average of one person a year in the town dies while setting up holiday decorations.
We must ban “holiday” decorations.”
No! We need a ‘better ladder’ stimulus!!!
A part of me wonders what you do at this point. Do you A) Take the lights down out of respect, B) Complete the designed lighting plan, out of respect, or C) Leave the lights at half-(mast)complete out of respect?
I only poke fun at such things because I have had my share of idiotic close calls.
RIP for the guy. That is really a sad story.
I'm in his age category and decided a few years ago that long ladders were off my list. There was a time when I'd scamper up most anything with zero fear. I even had ladders fall, and I was able to ride them down and roll out if it without much damage. Then I realized that I was old, not as flexible and absolutely did not have the reflexes that I once had.
Christmas lights now are all at ground level. If anything needs done up high, I get some young'n to do it for me. :~))
Personally I would want B if I could not finish my display for some reason.
Well since you're just poking fun, and the "you" you refer to no doubt is one of his family members, you tell us: if you came home and your wife or child was lying dead in the driveway, how would you deal with the lights?
Just asking for fun.
Anyone who hasn’t seen this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_n3Dln4Y74
It's a guy climbing a 1700’ radio tower with a helmet cam on. The last 60’ or so are without any safety, and the “ladder” is a pipe with bolts sticking out of one side. The last 20’ or so, there isn't even a ladder. The guy is just climbing on the tower truss holding onto anything he can get his hands on. It's nuts.
Had a leak in my roof and I went up in the rain to cover it with a tarp. Whoa! I am 49 now and that scared me. I remember when I used to walk around the roof like it wasn’t anything. Of course, that was 20 years ago.
Went back up 3 days later to check tarp and it was dry, so I figured it would be no problem. WRONG! I pretty much slide around on my butt and coming down was an experience much like a thrill ride (and one I don’t like).
Paid to have the roof repaired. And will pay if I need anything else done up top most likely. Not cut out for that crap no more!
I'm in that club also.
I would have someone finish putting them up so he could see them looking down from heaven.
It just ain’t worth it. I haven’t put lights on the house in several years for this very reason.
Finish the lights, of course. But I would have someone else do it for me.
My neighbor got stuck on his roof for several hours when he lost the nerve to climb down the ladder.
Glad to hear that you lived to tell the tale. Some (like the guy in this story) don't.
I suppose having to climb rooftops for a living has given me a healthy respect for the hazards involved. I know my limit, and won't push past it, no matter how much money's at stake.
That said, I've gotten in places and done repairs that no one before me dared to attempt. My son and I call it "mind control" .. LOL
There's definitely a developed physical and mental skill set involved with high work. No doubt about it. 'Course, I've been climbing high stuff since I was a kid, too. Might be why I never shied away from that type of work.
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