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Use a Full Body Safety Harness and Understand Suspension Trauma....Sad Story

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    Use a Full Body Safety Harness and Understand Suspension Trauma....Sad Story

    Tree stand hunter dies slowly using a make shift harness. Notice all the replies about other tree stand deaths using the old style chest harness or deaths caused by suspension trauma.

    Click on this link for story.



    Most hunters are not aware that every year hunters are found dead hanging in their safety harnesses. If you fall from your treestand and are not able to recover back to a standing position, you can become unconscious in as little as 5 to 30 minutes and death shortly follows unconsciousness.

    Studies done at NASA have shown that one of their test subjects passed out in less than 4 minutes. This is due to what is called SUSPENSION TRAUMA, and anyone suspended in a safety harness or strap can be killed very quickly by this. While suspended in a harness, the weight of your body is pressing on your leg straps and the leg straps then cause a tourniquet effect on the blood returning from your legs back to the heart. The heart can shove the blood into your legs, but the blood can’t get back because of the leg strap pressure on your groin. This is called BLOOD POOLING, and the legs can hold up to HALF of your total blood volume. You can lose half of your blood from circulating back to the heart and brain in just a matter of minutes.

    This is what happens if you fall and cannot recover back to your feet, your total circulating blood volume starts to drop very quickly because it is being pooled in your legs, your blood pressure starts to drop dramatically, your heart senses this and starts beating faster and harder to keep the pressure up, shoving more blood into your legs and causing more blood pooling. You become short of breath because there is less and less blood to carry oxygen to your brain, you struggle to breath and live. You become light headed and in just a few short minutes you pass out. Very shortly, you become permanently brain damaged from the lack of oxygen to your brain. Then when the blood pressure has dropped so low that the heart doesn’t have enough oxygen, it stops beating; you have a heart attack and die.

    If you have a suspension trauma relief strap you can relive the pressure created by the harness by putting your foot in the loop in the strap and pushing down with leg. Some harnesses come with a suspension trauma relief strap. You can make one from a piece of rope. Either way make sure you have one.

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    #2
    Great info, Mike!

    Here is another article regarding Dangerous Suspension.



    Even after the rescue there are risks and sometimes no symptoms. I know it is a long read...

    Others have mentioned Suspension Trauma being caused from hanging in the safety harness. Most of us assume that if we fall and the safety harness catches us, we are safe, but that is not always so. I recently ran across an article entitled "Dangerous Suspension." It is geared toward helping EMS and emergency personnel identify warning signs, risks and symptoms of Suspension Trauma even after the rescue has occurred.


    Those who work at heights on scaffolds and other structures
    higher than six feet often wear safety harnesses. The technology
    of safety harnesses has progressed in recent years, and stateof-
    the-art safety gear for workers is now designed as fall arrest
    systems. Even with the best designs in safety gear, however,
    those who fall in an upright position are at risk of death, even
    after a relatively short and effective rescue, especially if the rescuers
    are unaware of the risks of suspension trauma.

    Several types of deaths occur after upright suspension in a
    harness and are categorized as rescue deaths. These include
    suspension syndrome, suspension trauma syndrome, orthostatic
    hypotension and reflow syndrome. In these closely related syndromes,
    patients may appear stable and uninjured while suspended
    and before being freed. Sometimes, the patient will feel
    faint or have already fainted prior to the release but will not have
    suffered any physical injuries. These patients, including those with
    no injuries at all and no feeling of faintness, are at risk of death
    upon rescue if the responders are not aware of appropriate care.

    Rescue Prehospital Care

    It's very important to realize that the emergency treatment for suspension trauma is not the standard and intuitive rescue response! If the rescuer follows the normal protocol for syncope, death is the likely outcome. It's critical that the rescuer avoids the natural and intuitive step of immediately moving the patient to a supine position but instead makes sure to keep the patient's upper torso upright at least at a 30-40 angle (i.e., a semi-Fowler's position) and then slowly moves the patient to a supine position over a period of approximately 30-45 minutes by adjusting the stretcher in increments.

    Once rescuer and bystander safety has been ensured, the initial rescue response is to gain access to the patient as quickly as possible to begin moving the patient to safety. If access to a conscious patient is hampered due to structural instability or the patient is inaccessible due to their elevation, rescuers should attempt to communicate with the patient to see if they're able to respond verbally. If so, then the rescuers can encourage the patient to position their legs as high as possible and keep the leg muscles working vigorously.

    If the suspended patient is unconscious or has injuries that preclude movement of the legs, then the situation is life-threatening and the rescue must be completed as soon as possible. The patient needs to be released from the harness as quickly as possible, while the rescue maneuver is carried out carefully.

    Every individual who has been suspended in a harness and motionless for more than 10 minutes should be evaluated in a medical facility, regardless of whether they have any other injuries or symptoms. It's equally important to realize that suspension syndrome is a risk only to those who are motionless. Therefore, an alarmed reaction to recreational climbers and others suspended from harnesses is an unnecessary overreaction.

    In rescuing an unconscious patient, the rescuer is faced with a serious dilemma. On one hand, the lack of oxygenated blood circulating to the brain is potentially lethal, but treating the patient by moving them to a horizontal position is also potentially lethal. A compromise position is recommended. Begin with the upper body (head and trunk) elevated approximately 30, while treatments (oxygenation and fluid hydration) are initiated and only gradually move the patient to a horizontal position. Constantly monitor the level of consciousness and vital signs. Paramedics should follow the appropriate treatment guidelines for co-morbid illnesses and injuries, including the administration of analgesics for pain.

    Comment


      #3
      Great info and reminder! Plenty of hunters still refuse to wear them for whatever reason. It's stories like these that should remind them why they need to wear them.

      Comment


        #4
        Good to know.

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          #5
          I still use the old waist belt. With it, if I fall, I can still turn around and face the tree and get back up to the stand.

          Comment


            #6
            Keep a knife in a handy location..you might just need to cut yourself loose

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              #7
              Last yr I purchased a product that will slowly drop u to the ground, if a fall should occur. I think it is called spider wire and connects to the harness while connecting to the tree. I did not want a family member find me hanging in a tree dead.

              Comment


                #8
                I always use a LifeLine in conjunction w my safety vest. I NEVER tie the end of the line to anything. I let it hang freely bc I can use that free end to make a loop that will allow me to stand in and alleviate the compression of my lower extremities, allowing for good arterial and venous blood flow. I practice this to make sure I can do this readily. You can also make other loops to let yourself down (or up, if needed) while sliding the prussick knot. Practice this with both hands avail as well as only the right or left.

                Also, keep as little slack in your harness strap so if you fall, you will be caught sooner and have less whipping/jerking on arrest of your fall.

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by mmcan View Post
                  Also, keep as little slack in your harness strap so if you fall, you will be caught sooner and have less whipping/jerking on arrest of your fall.
                  This.Your tether strap should be just pulling tight when seated.That way if you fall you should be able to get right back in the stand.

                  DJ

                  Comment


                    #10
                    great tips

                    Comment


                      #11
                      This is a great reminder....thanks for posting!

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Thanks for the reminder and all the additional tips

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                          #13
                          Great information. Wear a harness and know what to do.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Good reminder and specifics on the problems related to a suspended fall. Thanks for posting.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Like Like Like

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