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CHARLIE VAN FLEET
03-22-2010, 11:29 AM
hey all

well i proved i am not Tarzan the great. last monday a snowny day in colorado did and inspection, and put off the roof till last so snow could melt alittle. put my little giant up on roof on snowny deck and headed for eave to get a view of roof. know way was i getting on it. well took a picture and headed down, only up about 12 feet. when i felt the ladder slide outward. holy #$&% here i go. grabbed onto gutter thank god and then spune around. landed hard with my left leg under my big ass.

got up pretty dazed and confused. my back hurt and my hand ripped up by gutter, and my right arm killing me. took some time to regroup, as not to cry in front of my 23 year old female client.

finished inspection, got in car and off i went. well when i got to my house and got to get out of car. i couldn't bend my left knee. that night it blew up like a blow fish out of water.

yep, tore my misicouse and mcl ligaments. now have to have it cut to repair.

that night i got on interrnet for little giant and purchased support arms for my giant $39 bucks. if you dont have them get them, take it from me, you can't fly very well at 62 years old

BE CAREFUL OUT THERE--THOUGHT I WAS, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW

one legged charlie

Scott Patterson
03-22-2010, 01:08 PM
Ouch! I'm with ya on the hurt leg. I tore ligaments in my ankle about 2 years ago, stepping off the ladder! Little did I realize that I was stepping into a catch basin drain without a top on it that was covered with grass!

Be sure you do the PT that the doctors prescribes! It really will help!

Rick Cantrell
03-22-2010, 03:09 PM
Glad to hear you wern't hurt real bad.
The older you get the longer it takes to heal.
Good luck

H.G. Watson, Sr.
03-22-2010, 03:38 PM
Charlie,

Sorry to learn about your mishap. Best wishes for a fast and uncomplicated recovery.

Sincerely,

H.G.

John Kogel
03-22-2010, 04:56 PM
Hope you get back in the saddle real quick. Look into getting a good knee brace, I would think. It could be slow to heal completely, from the sounds of it. Ow!

Nick Ostrowski
03-22-2010, 05:10 PM
Sorry to hear about your accident Charlie. Get better soon.

Ted Menelly
03-22-2010, 08:53 PM
Did it knock any sense into you or are you already to old and far gone for that :D

Ron Bibler
03-22-2010, 10:37 PM
Always keep an eye on that first step:eek:

Glad your OK Charlie...

Best

Ron

Matt Fellman
03-22-2010, 10:52 PM
Glad to hear you're okay for the most part... from what you describe I'm kind of picturing a Clark Griswold, Chirstmas Vacation thing? The scene where he's hanging from the gutter and then falls into the bushes :) Somehow, the movies make is look more glamerous.

I had a close one once at the opposite time of year.... a super hot day with my ladder feet on a composite deck. That stuff gets pretty slippery when it's hot out. Luckily, the "slide" was fairly slow.... it's amazing how fast you can make it down a ladder when you have to. It was basically a race.... will the top of the ladder make it to the gutter or will I make it to the ground first? They both happened about the same time and I was mostly uninjured......

Be careful out there....

Raymond Wand
03-23-2010, 04:57 AM
Charlie, that's a real bummer! Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

The lesson here - never ever set up a ladder with snow under the feet of the ladder.

Ted Menelly
03-23-2010, 06:21 AM
Charlie, that's a real bummer! Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

The lesson here - never ever set up a ladder with snow under the feet of the ladder.


Yeah Think ?????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????

Raymond Wand
03-23-2010, 07:22 AM
Ya, I think! :D Unfortunately I suspect a lot of inspectors do just that!!!!!!!!

Vern Heiler
03-23-2010, 07:26 AM
Charlie, sorry to hear about your knee. On the bright side- ski season is almost over:) . Get well soon.

David Wood
03-23-2010, 01:38 PM
62 and you are still on your first ladder? :)

jk. Hope you have a speedy recovery!

Markus Keller
03-23-2010, 04:08 PM
Sorry to hear that Charlie, I hope you recover fully. I've had lots of close calls.

daniel nantell
03-23-2010, 06:30 PM
Has anyone ever come up with any firgures of how many home Inspectors are Injured each year, just wondering. thanks

Rick Bunzel
03-23-2010, 07:22 PM
Sorry to here about that. I am glad it was just a short drop. It must have been tough trying to look cool to your client. "Can I make it through the rest of the inspection without wincing?" Once the adrenaline wears off and the pain sets in and you realize that you just can't shake it off is a humbling experience....

Fortunately Denver and Boulder have some of the best sports medicine docs in the business!

//Rick

John Dirks Jr
03-23-2010, 08:10 PM
Sorry to hear you got hurt. It could have been worse so it's good that it wasn't.

Thanks for sharing the experience as it helps remind us about safety. Sometimes when I have my ladder on a deck, I'll stick a screwdriver between the deck planks at the ladder foot to prevent it from sliding.

Matt Fellman
03-23-2010, 08:22 PM
Has anyone ever come up with any firgures of how many home Inspectors are Injured each year, just wondering. thanks

Not specifically but a few years ago when I was looking into disability insurance the agent remarked that HIs were in lowest (best) catagory so I think it's not too bad.