Terrible tragedy
By GreenMoo
@GreenMoo (11833)
August 4, 2012 10:54am CST
A couple of days ago I was walking with my family near a local hydroelectric dam. We came upon fireman and police trying to rescue an unfortunate man who had gone down some steps where he shouldn't have, and fallen through a floor into the tunnels within the base of the dam. He apparently fell about 30 foot onto a metal floor.
Whilst we were there the wonderful firemen managed to extract him and as we were driving away we saw the helicopter ambulance flying in to take him off.
This afternoon we heard that he's died in hospital from internal injuries sustained in the fall. He's the son of a local lady, who lost her daughter in a fall some years ago. Poor, poor woman.
Passing the lake earlier today, the steps that are supposedly out of bounds to the public still only had a flimsy gate at the top and there was no sign of the danger lurking below. I'm just terribly grateful it wasn't someone close to me who decide to explore.
Who do you think is to blame in a situation like this? The man who went somewhere that he shouldn't have? Or the company who maintain the dam as they could have marked the potential danger more clearly? The gate is marked no entry, but is easily bypassed.
It seems such a pointless accident, so easily avoided.
2 people like this
4 responses
@jillhill (37353)
• United States
5 Aug 12
I think everyone should take responsibility for what they do.....there is warning signs....stay out. Everyone these days blames it on the business or whatever...adults have a mind of their own and make their own decisions.....he made a bad one and it cost him his life.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169498)
• United States
5 Aug 12
Actually, we should. There was a time in history when people took responsibility, admitted when they were wrong and heeded warning signs or took the consequences. I think it is impossible to protect everyone from everything, and it is ridiculous the law suits that get brought.
@ajinleo (283)
• India
4 Aug 12
I think the company which maintains the dam should have taken care of this. There should be a warning sign on the gate. Some people are curious to explore the unexplored path. We can't blame them. So the precaution steps should have been taken by the company. Now we have lost one person. This should not be continued. Immediately a warning board or sign should be fixed there.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169498)
• United States
4 Aug 12
If the gate is marked "No Entry" then ultimately this is his fault. I think it is awful that this woman has lost two children to bad falls. It sounds almost as if they refuse to accept boundaries. Of course I do not know about her daughter's fall and the dam could probably use more maintenance. A sturdier gate and stronger floors probably are in order. Still, it was marked.
1 person likes this
@GreenMoo (11833)
•
5 Aug 12
I don't know anything about the daughter's accident, it's just something that I've been told. It's a terrible coincidence though.
To be honest, I can't imagine why anyone would want to explore the depths of the dam, but I've heard that he wanted to take photos.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51837)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
4 Aug 12
Well, they're both to blame. The man for ignoring the no entry sign and the company for not stressing the danger of passing that point. And immediately after the accident site was cleared they should have beefed up security.
@BarBaraPrz (51837)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
5 Aug 12
Maybe they were responding to another situation.
@GreenMoo (11833)
•
5 Aug 12
I did find it very peculiar that, as we were leaving the lake site, the police car passed us. So the police were leaving the site whilst the emergency crews were still trying to get the poor guy up from the floor of the dam (he was out of the tunnel, strapped to a stretcher, but the firemen still had to get him up a very narrow bendy staircase). Strikes me that they should have been there to supervise onlookers and make sure noone else put themselves in danger, to secure the scene once the emergency crews were clear, and to take note of the infrastructure conditions in the case of legal liability being an issue. Very strange.
1 person likes this
