Be carefull out there

Sadly it happens from time to time, theres been a number of togs who have slipped and fallen off things.
My girlfriend has scared the ****** out of me a few times climbing out on things to get a pic, she seems to have no fear of death at all. I have seen her balancing on a handrail 50 foot up over rocks to get a pic, one little slip and it's all over.
 
Very sad, maybe a case of where 'elfin safety' should be more pro-active.
 
if you have eveer been to High force you will know that there are poeple climbing allover the rocks at the top and on the sides of the falls.

this is very sad and my thoughts are with his family,

it would be sad for hand rails to put in place and maybe even make things worse.
 
Sad story but there has to be a point where we know the risks and consequence of our actions and as gumbo-67 says handrails may make things worse and/or spoil a potential shot.
 
gerrard8 said:
Sad story but there has to be a point where we know the risks and consequence of our actions and as gumbo-67 says handrails may make things worse and/or spoil a potential shot.
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because god forbid a shot is ruined due to wanting to save lives.... :wacky:
 
gerrard8 said:
Sad story but there has to be a point where we know the risks and consequence of our actions and as gumbo-67 says handrails may make things worse and/or spoil a potential shot.
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Totally agree, and in the present economic climate who is going to pay to fence off every public access cliff edge and precipice.
 
gramps said:
Very sad, maybe a case of where 'elfin safety' should be more pro-active.
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Such as barriers on all edges where you might fall whilst walking in an area of outstanding natural beauty? :wacky:

.. maybe I missed the smiley..

(yes, I work in "elfin safety" - dammed if we do and dammed if we don't :bang:)
 
Alastair said:
Such as barriers on all edges where you might fall whilst walking in an area of outstanding natural beauty? :wacky:

.. maybe I missed the smiley..

(yes, I work in "elfin safety" - dammed if we do and dammed if we don't :bang:)
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Nope, just damned if you do. The word 'accident' no long exists in the English language unfortunately. :shake:
 
I dont think there should be a need for handrails or "barriers" as such, i agree people should have common sense and why ruin a beautiful place with them? I think there isnt enough to help natural selection these days, but thats probably why people think im harsh.
 
Tragic

I agree common sense should be used. Like, dont take the wife :cautious:
 
purpleclouds said:
Nope, just damned if you do. The word 'accident' no long exists in the English language unfortunately. :shake:
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Yup, we're only allowed to have 'incidents' now, as accidents are something that no longer happen.... :wacky:
 
neil_g said:
sorry but everyone knows the risks when they go to these places.. why ruin the landscape?
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I agree with you, we shouldn't ruin the countryside due to accidents, however, my issue was with the "why ruin a photo" comment.
 
Health and safety is a two part system, the owner do as much as possible to protect visitors, but we must also take actions to prtect ourselves . No shots is worth more than your life.

in camera club competitions i have heard the remark that 2ft to the left or right would improve the shot, it may also kill you.
the statement for the force owners where they state the number of visitors far our number fatalities.

I feel for the family of the tog.

i stress we not only assess the shot , but the dangers

Cheers Steve
 
Harvey_nikon said:
because god forbid a shot is ruined due to wanting to save lives.... :wacky:
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They should fence the Grand Canyon off as well, a mile to the bottom and no fence, outrageous.

people need to take responsibility for their own actions, there's way to much regulation in this country, fences round beauty spots is a step too far IMO
 
I think there isnt enough to help natural selection these days, but thats probably why people think im harsh.
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In a world where most of the accidents seem to be on TV and called contestants, I don't think that's harsh at all.
 
adsayer said:
It's not so much that but people would duck under or climb over - it's pretty obvious arsing around the falls is dangerous.
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I'm afraid that's exactly right.
The places my GF will go to get a shot are obviously dangerous, right out on a cliff edge (and I mean RIGHT out) standing on hand rails high up, climbing up clifs etc. She's not stupid she knows the risk, she's just not afraid of dying.
A railing would be just something to climb over to get a better shot for her, and many others.
 
Francesca said:
I think there isnt enough to help natural selection these days, but thats probably why people think im harsh.
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Not harsh just ignorant. I am sure his family would just love that comment.

I am sometimes amazed by the ignorance displayed on these pages sometimes, I had to check I had not wandered onto the daily mail site by accident.

Steve
 
steve_v said:
Not harsh just ignorant. I am sure his family would just love that comment.

I am sometimes amazed by the ignorance displayed on these pages sometimes, I had to check I had not wandered onto the daily mail site by accident.

Steve
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It's not ignorance to be suprised/stunned by the stupidy of some people.

I would hope that everybody in this thread feels sorry for the family involved but all the suffering is entirely down to somebody taking uneccessary risks :thumbsdown:
 
mrgubby said:
It's not ignorance to be suprised/stunned by the stupidy of some people.

I would hope that everybody in this thread feels sorry for the family involved but all the suffering is entirely down to somebody taking uneccessary risks :thumbsdown:
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I wonder how many of us have never taken any uneccessary risks? Not many I suspect.
 
swanseamale47 said:
I wonder how many of us have never taken any uneccessary risks? Not many I suspect.
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:agree: .... also how many of us have taken educated risks? ... a risk is a risk ... I guess some are just luckier than others ...
 
mrgubby said:
It's not ignorance to be suprised/stunned by the stupidy of some people.
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It is ignorance to assume that natural selection needed a helping hand here, actually its considerably worse than ignorance
mrgubby said:
I would hope that everybody in this thread feels sorry for the family involved but all the suffering is entirely down to somebody taking uneccessary risks :thumbsdown:
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Why are you assuming he was acting dangerously, there is nothing in the article to indicate this, it actually says he tripped and fell.

Steve
 
It is ignorance to assume that natural selection needed a helping hand here, actually its considerably worse than ignorance
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we can have a hanging I guess but I read that comment more in the context of not having rails at every possible point of danger.
 
steve_v said:
It is ignorance to assume that natural selection needed a helping hand here, actually its considerably worse than ignorance


Why are you assuming he was acting dangerously, there is nothing in the article to indicate this, it actually says he tripped and fell.

Steve
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If you are within tripping distance of a fatal drop then I'd say you are acting dangerously :shrug:
 
what a horrible way to go, at 58 I would assume he was a little slower, hope his wife is alright.
 
There's an eagles nest on a cliff next to a waterfall in the Walter Sisulu Botanic Gardens close to Johannesburg. The birds breed every year and its quite a popular attraction, because its a public park and they seem very tolerant of the human presence. You can look down at the nest by climbing a steep, but perfectly safe, path but the view is a bit restricted. The last time I was there - a few months ago - a young woman had climbed over the safety fence onto the steep, sloping, rocks above the waterfall to get a photograph. One slip and she would have been history. Bit crazy? Possibly, but I would probably have done the same thing when I was a bit younger. There's no danger if you stay on the platform, and it was her choice. SA has its own serious problems but hasn't gone overboard about "protecting" people from the consequences of their own, deliberate, actions.
 
A few years ago I went to High Force on the way back from doing a job, it was early evening when I got there, I parked in the car park and started walking towards the falls, then the path turned into climbing over rocks, after about 10m I realised

A it would be getting dark soon
B there was nobody else about
C I'd be an idiot to go any further

So I still haven't seen them :D


I also went to the Grand Canyon 20 years ago, it was a touristy viewing spot I went towith safety barriers but go 20m in either direction it was a ciiff with a mile drop, there was a guy sitting about 2ft from the edge, crazy but nobody said he couldn't and nobody tried to stop him.

If he'd fallen he had nobody to blame but himself which is how it should be.
 
what would you rather another dead 58 year old or not be able to go anywhere dangerous...

he was slow/uncoordinated and fell, **** happens its a fundamental freedom to be able to go stupid places to get awesome shots, hopefully it was awesome.
 
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