Re: Three Ski Patrol Members Die After Falling into Volcanic Fissure

In article <85v2g.696692$084.428105@attbi_s22>, George wrote:
I read that all three were very experienced mountain professionals who had
worked in the area for decades. My understanding was that they were
standing close to the edge of the fissure on heavy snow roping the area off
to keep skiers out of the area when the ledge gave way on the guy closest
to the edge.

Double-plus "ouch"; they knew the rules and reacted with the heart a
little bit ahead of the head. Not nice.

The incident this reminded me of, which I deleted from my previous
message, was of workers cleaning a tank at a local whiskey distillery.
*Everyone* knew that going into the vessels put you into a CO2 atmosphere, and
that CO2 was heavier than air. So there were site-rules about entering
vessels. And one day 3 men went to clean a vessel. And they followed the
rules. Ventilate vessel for 24 hours before entry. Party of 3. Stirring motors
isolated and shafts locked.
One man went in. Collapsed. Second man went in (having told 3rd man to
call for back-up). Collapsed. Third man went in, having made the phone call.
Collapsed. No survivors.
People do have a horrible habit of repeating mistakes, up to and
including dieing. There are circumstances that take out 3 people at once, but
there are more circumstances that will take a person out, 3 times. No
disrespect to the people involved, but it very definitely does happen.

--
Aidan Karley, FGS
Aberdeen, Scotland,
Location: 57°10'11" N, 02°08'43" W (sub-tropical Aberdeen), 0.021233

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