Ridiculous Accidents
- Thread starter evilsprout
- Start date
Regarding someone getting their fingers burnt off thanks to plaster, it has happened before in Denmark. There is supposed to be different kinds of plaster, one of which doesn´t develop heat. I know in Denmark students have tried making casts of their faces, which could go a lot more wrong than burning your fingers. The one to use I believe is called Dentist´s Plaster or so.
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- Joined
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And now, nearly 4 weeks later (talk about 'shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted') comes this:
Power warning issued to farmers
Farmers in Devon and Cornwall have been reminded of the dangers to humans and animals from overhead power lines.
The warning was made by the Energy Networks Association, which is funded by the electricity and gas transmission and distribution companies.
The association said five people on farms are killed each year when machinery hits overhead power lines.
Four cows and a bull died on a Cornish farm last month when cables came down during a storm.
Machinery risk
They were electrocuted in a field where they were grazing on the Lizard peninsula.
The association said power lines, which are essential to the UK's power grid, are built mainly through fields to avoid contact with the public.
But it said it means farmers are particularly susceptible to the risk of machinery hitting lines.
It warned that touching a 230 volt line can be fatal and even the lowest voltage lines can produce 10,000 times the amount of current needed to kill a person.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/6717195.stm
Power warning issued to farmers
Farmers in Devon and Cornwall have been reminded of the dangers to humans and animals from overhead power lines.
The warning was made by the Energy Networks Association, which is funded by the electricity and gas transmission and distribution companies.
The association said five people on farms are killed each year when machinery hits overhead power lines.
Four cows and a bull died on a Cornish farm last month when cables came down during a storm.
Machinery risk
They were electrocuted in a field where they were grazing on the Lizard peninsula.
The association said power lines, which are essential to the UK's power grid, are built mainly through fields to avoid contact with the public.
But it said it means farmers are particularly susceptible to the risk of machinery hitting lines.
It warned that touching a 230 volt line can be fatal and even the lowest voltage lines can produce 10,000 times the amount of current needed to kill a person.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/6717195.stm
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This beach rescue's not over until the fat lady sinks
Last updated at 17:50pm on 3rd August 2007
It was the moment when "wish you were here" became "wish I were anywhere but here".
This holidaymaker found herself stranded in her deckchair as the tide came in and started lapping at her feet. The woman, estimated by some onlookers to weigh as much as 20 stone, had been unable to get out of the chair after its legs became firmly wedged in the shingle.
A crowd gathered as the coastguards rescued the stuck sunbather
Other day trippers awaking from their afternoon naps nearby had managed to scramble to safety because their deckchairs were resting on firmer foundations.
But it took coastguards in yellow jumpsuits and wellington boots to rescue the turbanwearing tourist, said to be 49 and from Belgium. Two of them prised her free just as the water came up the beach, watched by a crowd of onlookers.
Ronald Coleman, 74, one of those who witnessed the distressing scene at Westcliffon-Sea, Essex, said: "The tide was racing in. She was lucky."
http://tinyurl.com/23gzal
pic on page..
Last updated at 17:50pm on 3rd August 2007
It was the moment when "wish you were here" became "wish I were anywhere but here".
This holidaymaker found herself stranded in her deckchair as the tide came in and started lapping at her feet. The woman, estimated by some onlookers to weigh as much as 20 stone, had been unable to get out of the chair after its legs became firmly wedged in the shingle.
A crowd gathered as the coastguards rescued the stuck sunbather
Other day trippers awaking from their afternoon naps nearby had managed to scramble to safety because their deckchairs were resting on firmer foundations.
But it took coastguards in yellow jumpsuits and wellington boots to rescue the turbanwearing tourist, said to be 49 and from Belgium. Two of them prised her free just as the water came up the beach, watched by a crowd of onlookers.
Ronald Coleman, 74, one of those who witnessed the distressing scene at Westcliffon-Sea, Essex, said: "The tide was racing in. She was lucky."
http://tinyurl.com/23gzal
pic on page..
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It just jumped out in front of me, guv!
Crew held after ship hits gas rig
Police are questioning seven crew members from a cargo vessel which hit an unmanned gas platform in the North Sea 40 miles off the Norfolk coast.
Six men jumped into the water after the "Jork" struck the Viking Echo platform, but the captain tried to save the ship.
A helicopter and a rescue vessel were sent to the ship, which was carrying grain from Lubeck in Germany.
Six men from Poland and the German captain are being questioned about the incident by Lincolnshire Police.
The crew members and the captain were rescued from the sea by another boat, but the "Jork", which was listing heavily, is expected to sink.
ConocoPhillips, which owns the gas platform, has shut down production while any damage is assessed.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch is carrying out an investigation.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6931697.stm
Crew held after ship hits gas rig
Police are questioning seven crew members from a cargo vessel which hit an unmanned gas platform in the North Sea 40 miles off the Norfolk coast.
Six men jumped into the water after the "Jork" struck the Viking Echo platform, but the captain tried to save the ship.
A helicopter and a rescue vessel were sent to the ship, which was carrying grain from Lubeck in Germany.
Six men from Poland and the German captain are being questioned about the incident by Lincolnshire Police.
The crew members and the captain were rescued from the sea by another boat, but the "Jork", which was listing heavily, is expected to sink.
ConocoPhillips, which owns the gas platform, has shut down production while any damage is assessed.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch is carrying out an investigation.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6931697.stm
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Another ship's captain in hot - er - cold water:
'My wife was in the freezing water'
By Caroline Gammell in Longyearbyen on Svalbard
Last Updated: 1:36am BST 11/08/2007
Terrified British holidaymakers told of their miraculous escape yesterday after a 70ft wall of ice and water engulfed their cruise ship when a glacier collapsed only yards away.
The party of mostly retired sightseers feared for their lives as they clung desperately to railings while the vessel was overwhelmed by a wave that threatened to wash them overboard.
The dramatic incident left 17 people injured - four seriously - and led to severe criticism of the cruise company from passengers for taking the Russian ship Alexey Maryshev too close to the glacier.
One of the most seriously injured was a 29-year-old British man who was on his honeymoon.
The weary survivors arrived yesterday in Longyearbyen, on the Arctic Norwegian island of Spitesbergen, 300 miles north of mainland Norway.
Retired police officer Julian Benington, 66, from Orpington, spoke of the moment a wall of ice fell from the Hornsundbreen glacier on Svalbard as their craft was just 20 yards away.
"There was a huge crack and a large area of ice came down into the water," he said. "It didn't take a rocket scientist to work out that there would be a huge upsurge of water as the ice went in."
Mr Benington flung himself on the railings of the ship as it was consumed by the freezing water and grabbed hold of his wife to prevent her being washed overboard.
"I was there holding on for grim death. My wife, Valerie, came floating round on her back, she was in the water. I managed to grab her and haul her towards me." As he clung to his 64-year-old wife, Mr Benington stretched for another man in the water and fought desperately to hold on to them both as the ship tipped to one side. "I was holding on to the man with my wife in between. It was bitterly cold and I couldn't hold on any longer.
"He slid down to the other side of the boat and hit another woman who was lying against the railings. She probably saved him from going into the water.
"It was terrifying. I was frightened for everyone and my wife thought she was going to die."
Mr Benington, a father of three, said the ship was no more than 60 feet away from the glacier when disaster struck: "I certainly do not think we should have been that close. By the time we were there, it was too late.
"You are leaving yourself in the hands of the professionals." The £3,000, 10-day trip was operated by the Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions but chartered by the British tour operator Discover the World. Last night Discover the World blamed the ship's captain, whom it accused of behaving irresponsibly and who had now been barred from future voyages.
In a statement, Discover the World said: "We are convinced that the accident was caused due to the negligence of the captain, who was acting irresponsibly. We are at the moment considering what action to take. Our absolute priority continues to be the welfare of our clients and their families."
The travel firm said it was waiting for a detailed report from the ship operators and Svalbard authorities, which would be handed over after the ship's captain and expedition team had been interviewed by the governor of Svalbard, who is also the local police chief.
The ship docked safely in Longyearbyen, on Svalbard, on Thursday. Those not needing hospital treatment had decided to stay in the Arctic Circle until their holiday was supposed to end this weekend.
Seven people remained in hospital. Two were being treated for minor injuries in Longyearbyen and the other five were in Tromso, on the Norwegian mainland.
Another passenger angered by the ship's proximity to the glacier was Frank Keighley, 72, from Cheltenham, whose 70-year-old wife Margaret suffered a serious gash to her right leg.
Speaking as he rushed to see his wife in hospital in Longyearbyen, the retired agricultural consultant said: "In my view, it was totally reckless and irresponsible to be so close.
"The glacier was on top of us. It was actually very frightening to see it that close.
"I heard the glacier creaking and groaning and then this wall of ice came on top of the ship. I was covered in freezing cold water and ice and I was soaking wet.
"There was a shower of chunks of ice. I thought I was a goner. I thought I was going to die. People were screaming and I found Margaret in a pool of blood."
Svalbard police yesterday continued questioning the Russian captain of the ship, who has already admitted going too close to the glacier, but a spokesman said there were no plans to arrest anyone at this stage.
Dr Erling Siggurud, an Arctic Circle specialist who has worked in the region for 27 years, was highly critical of the decision to take the Alexey Maryshev so close to the glacier.
"Whatever you do, you do not take a vessel all the way up to a glacier front when it is calving [losing ice]. There is only one word for that - stupid. Some of those blocks of ice falling from the glacier are several metres wide, weigh several tons and would crush you like a fly."
He said it was a matter of luck that passengers had not been thrown overboard and if they had they would have perished within 15 minutes. He added: "It would have been like sailing into a death trap."
http://tinyurl.com/2wb7xz
'My wife was in the freezing water'
By Caroline Gammell in Longyearbyen on Svalbard
Last Updated: 1:36am BST 11/08/2007
Terrified British holidaymakers told of their miraculous escape yesterday after a 70ft wall of ice and water engulfed their cruise ship when a glacier collapsed only yards away.
The party of mostly retired sightseers feared for their lives as they clung desperately to railings while the vessel was overwhelmed by a wave that threatened to wash them overboard.
The dramatic incident left 17 people injured - four seriously - and led to severe criticism of the cruise company from passengers for taking the Russian ship Alexey Maryshev too close to the glacier.
One of the most seriously injured was a 29-year-old British man who was on his honeymoon.
The weary survivors arrived yesterday in Longyearbyen, on the Arctic Norwegian island of Spitesbergen, 300 miles north of mainland Norway.
Retired police officer Julian Benington, 66, from Orpington, spoke of the moment a wall of ice fell from the Hornsundbreen glacier on Svalbard as their craft was just 20 yards away.
"There was a huge crack and a large area of ice came down into the water," he said. "It didn't take a rocket scientist to work out that there would be a huge upsurge of water as the ice went in."
Mr Benington flung himself on the railings of the ship as it was consumed by the freezing water and grabbed hold of his wife to prevent her being washed overboard.
"I was there holding on for grim death. My wife, Valerie, came floating round on her back, she was in the water. I managed to grab her and haul her towards me." As he clung to his 64-year-old wife, Mr Benington stretched for another man in the water and fought desperately to hold on to them both as the ship tipped to one side. "I was holding on to the man with my wife in between. It was bitterly cold and I couldn't hold on any longer.
"He slid down to the other side of the boat and hit another woman who was lying against the railings. She probably saved him from going into the water.
"It was terrifying. I was frightened for everyone and my wife thought she was going to die."
Mr Benington, a father of three, said the ship was no more than 60 feet away from the glacier when disaster struck: "I certainly do not think we should have been that close. By the time we were there, it was too late.
"You are leaving yourself in the hands of the professionals." The £3,000, 10-day trip was operated by the Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions but chartered by the British tour operator Discover the World. Last night Discover the World blamed the ship's captain, whom it accused of behaving irresponsibly and who had now been barred from future voyages.
In a statement, Discover the World said: "We are convinced that the accident was caused due to the negligence of the captain, who was acting irresponsibly. We are at the moment considering what action to take. Our absolute priority continues to be the welfare of our clients and their families."
The travel firm said it was waiting for a detailed report from the ship operators and Svalbard authorities, which would be handed over after the ship's captain and expedition team had been interviewed by the governor of Svalbard, who is also the local police chief.
The ship docked safely in Longyearbyen, on Svalbard, on Thursday. Those not needing hospital treatment had decided to stay in the Arctic Circle until their holiday was supposed to end this weekend.
Seven people remained in hospital. Two were being treated for minor injuries in Longyearbyen and the other five were in Tromso, on the Norwegian mainland.
Another passenger angered by the ship's proximity to the glacier was Frank Keighley, 72, from Cheltenham, whose 70-year-old wife Margaret suffered a serious gash to her right leg.
Speaking as he rushed to see his wife in hospital in Longyearbyen, the retired agricultural consultant said: "In my view, it was totally reckless and irresponsible to be so close.
"The glacier was on top of us. It was actually very frightening to see it that close.
"I heard the glacier creaking and groaning and then this wall of ice came on top of the ship. I was covered in freezing cold water and ice and I was soaking wet.
"There was a shower of chunks of ice. I thought I was a goner. I thought I was going to die. People were screaming and I found Margaret in a pool of blood."
Svalbard police yesterday continued questioning the Russian captain of the ship, who has already admitted going too close to the glacier, but a spokesman said there were no plans to arrest anyone at this stage.
Dr Erling Siggurud, an Arctic Circle specialist who has worked in the region for 27 years, was highly critical of the decision to take the Alexey Maryshev so close to the glacier.
"Whatever you do, you do not take a vessel all the way up to a glacier front when it is calving [losing ice]. There is only one word for that - stupid. Some of those blocks of ice falling from the glacier are several metres wide, weigh several tons and would crush you like a fly."
He said it was a matter of luck that passengers had not been thrown overboard and if they had they would have perished within 15 minutes. He added: "It would have been like sailing into a death trap."
http://tinyurl.com/2wb7xz
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Festival's Next Piano Will Be Handled With Care
Further to previous posts: -
Further to previous posts: -
GNC
King-Sized Canary
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From Breaking News:
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2556955.html?menu=
It sounds as if there should be a joke that goes along with this. "Doctor! Doctor! I have a toothbrush up my nose!" etc.
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2556955.html?menu=
It sounds as if there should be a joke that goes along with this. "Doctor! Doctor! I have a toothbrush up my nose!" etc.
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- Aug 7, 2001
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Boy, 3, comes unstuck playing Harry Potter
Last Updated: 2:41am BST 23/10/2007
A three-year-old boy playing Harry Potter had to be cut free by firefighters after the traffic cone he put on his head became stuck.
Charlie Thomas - who was celebrating his birthday - was playing with his new kite the following day when he noticed the cone in a playing field and put it on, pretending it was a wizard's hat.
Charlie dashed over to show his parents but it wouldn't budge when they tried to take it off.
They rang 999 and had to wait 45 minutes before fire fighters in Cullompton, Devon, arrived.
It took them a further 30 minutes to remove the cone, using small levers, cutting tools and pliers.
His mother Louisa, 34, said: "He looks quite sorry for himself in the photo and he's not going to thank me when he sees that in the future."
[photos here: http://tinyurl.com/35aayk ]
Last Updated: 2:41am BST 23/10/2007
A three-year-old boy playing Harry Potter had to be cut free by firefighters after the traffic cone he put on his head became stuck.
Charlie Thomas - who was celebrating his birthday - was playing with his new kite the following day when he noticed the cone in a playing field and put it on, pretending it was a wizard's hat.
Charlie dashed over to show his parents but it wouldn't budge when they tried to take it off.
They rang 999 and had to wait 45 minutes before fire fighters in Cullompton, Devon, arrived.
It took them a further 30 minutes to remove the cone, using small levers, cutting tools and pliers.
His mother Louisa, 34, said: "He looks quite sorry for himself in the photo and he's not going to thank me when he sees that in the future."
[photos here: http://tinyurl.com/35aayk ]
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Drunk ship crash captain jailedrynner said:
A sea captain has been jailed for a year after crashing his ship into an unmanned gas platform while drunk, causing up to £10m damage.
Zbigniew Krakowski, 56, from Poland, was nearly three times over the legal alcohol limit when the Jork hit the Echo platform off Norfolk on 4 August.
He pleaded guilty, at Lincoln Crown Court, to being drunk in charge of a cargo vessel.
Krakowski and six crew members were rescued from the sea.
The 2,000-tonne ship was carrying grain from Lubeck in Germany destined for the port of New Holland, Lincolnshire, when it crashed 40 miles (64km) off the coast.
More vodka
After the accident, which caused between £7m and £10m worth of damage, he opened a bottle of vodka, often reserved for tipping workers unloading the ship, the court was told.
Krakowski was sitting with his back to the ship's bow looking at a computer when the accident happened.
After taking control from his chief officer, he had been told to alter its course seven degrees.
But, the court was told, he did not make the correct alteration, and the ship continued towards the gas rig, with the captain - a seaman with more than 30 years' experience - looking over his shoulder at intervals.
Judge John Milmo was told that Krakowski only realised the impending danger when the vessel was about 100m to 150m from the rig. He tried to alter its course, but it hit the rig with a glancing blow.
Platform closed
The Jork continued another 500 metres before it stopped and started listing. It sank a day later.
The platform remains out of operation, losing £615,000 a month in revenue. Work cannot start on repairs until next April at the earliest, the court heard.
Krakowski's conviction comes after a joint investigation by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the Health and Safety Executive, Lincolnshire Police and Norfolk Constabulary.
It is believed the vessel eventually sank after the wheat in its cargo holds expanded when the sea water entered through the damaged hull.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/linc ... 074944.stm
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Abseiling Father Christmas cut free from beard
By Matthew Moore
Last Updated: 2:30am GMT 21/11/2007
An abseiling Father Christmas had to be rescued by firemen after his stick-on beard became caught on the rope on which he was descending.
The unfortunate Santa was left flailing 30ft from the ground after his dramatic arrival at a Texas shopping centre's Christmas celebrations went awry.
Children gathered below watched on in tears as he struggled to free himself, but his efforts only resulted in the ultimate Father Christmas indignity - his red hat coming loose and falling to earth.
Eventually he was thrown a pair of scissors and cut his beard free. But he found he was still unable to resume his descent, and the fire brigade was called.
The red-faced Father Christmas was finally led down on one of the brigade's telescopic ladders.
He had been asked to abseil down an 80ft advertising hoarding as the shopping centre had no chimneys down which he could make a more traditional descent.
http://tinyurl.com/yv4bd9
Pics and video link on page
By Matthew Moore
Last Updated: 2:30am GMT 21/11/2007
An abseiling Father Christmas had to be rescued by firemen after his stick-on beard became caught on the rope on which he was descending.
The unfortunate Santa was left flailing 30ft from the ground after his dramatic arrival at a Texas shopping centre's Christmas celebrations went awry.
Children gathered below watched on in tears as he struggled to free himself, but his efforts only resulted in the ultimate Father Christmas indignity - his red hat coming loose and falling to earth.
Eventually he was thrown a pair of scissors and cut his beard free. But he found he was still unable to resume his descent, and the fire brigade was called.
The red-faced Father Christmas was finally led down on one of the brigade's telescopic ladders.
He had been asked to abseil down an 80ft advertising hoarding as the shopping centre had no chimneys down which he could make a more traditional descent.
http://tinyurl.com/yv4bd9
Pics and video link on page
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I hope you weren't responsible for this one, Scarg:
Man in cyanide vat fall critical
A 62-year-old worker is in a critical condition after falling into a vat of diluted potassium cyanide.
Two colleagues at metal plating specialists Karas Industries Ltd, in Leigh, Greater Manchester, pulled the man from the vat.
Firefighters in chemical protection gear removed the man's clothes and hosed him down to decontaminate him before he was taken to hospital.
Cyanide can cause fatal cardiac arrests if ingested.
An investigation has been opened and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) informed.
The man, who comes from the Leigh area, fell into the chemical vat shortly before 0400 GMT.
The two colleagues who pulled him out were treated at the scene for shock.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manc ... 141740.stm
Man in cyanide vat fall critical
A 62-year-old worker is in a critical condition after falling into a vat of diluted potassium cyanide.
Two colleagues at metal plating specialists Karas Industries Ltd, in Leigh, Greater Manchester, pulled the man from the vat.
Firefighters in chemical protection gear removed the man's clothes and hosed him down to decontaminate him before he was taken to hospital.
Cyanide can cause fatal cardiac arrests if ingested.
An investigation has been opened and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) informed.
The man, who comes from the Leigh area, fell into the chemical vat shortly before 0400 GMT.
The two colleagues who pulled him out were treated at the scene for shock.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manc ... 141740.stm
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Man saved from croc shot in error
By Phil Mercer
BBC News, Sydney
A man has been accidentally shot by a rescuer who was trying to free him from the jaws of a crocodile in northern Australia.
The victim, in his late 20s, was attacked by the reptile near a popular tourist spot on the Mary River south-east of Darwin.
He was flown to hospital by helicopter for emergency surgery for bite and bullet wounds.
He is currently in a stable condition in hospital.
Two shots
Crocodile attacks and shootings are rare in Australia.
To suffer both at once is - to say the least - unfortunate.
Jason Grant was collecting crocodile eggs at a remote reptile farm when he found himself locked inside a giant set of jaws.
For a few terrifying moments the animal wildly shook its victim before the intervention of a fellow worker.
He fired two shots at the saltwater crocodile. One hit the target, while the other struck the arm of his stricken colleague.
It was enough though to bring the drama to an end.
The injured man was flown to hospital in Darwin, where he is recovering.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-p ... 203988.stm
By Phil Mercer
BBC News, Sydney
A man has been accidentally shot by a rescuer who was trying to free him from the jaws of a crocodile in northern Australia.
The victim, in his late 20s, was attacked by the reptile near a popular tourist spot on the Mary River south-east of Darwin.
He was flown to hospital by helicopter for emergency surgery for bite and bullet wounds.
He is currently in a stable condition in hospital.
Two shots
Crocodile attacks and shootings are rare in Australia.
To suffer both at once is - to say the least - unfortunate.
Jason Grant was collecting crocodile eggs at a remote reptile farm when he found himself locked inside a giant set of jaws.
For a few terrifying moments the animal wildly shook its victim before the intervention of a fellow worker.
He fired two shots at the saltwater crocodile. One hit the target, while the other struck the arm of his stricken colleague.
It was enough though to bring the drama to an end.
The injured man was flown to hospital in Darwin, where he is recovering.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-p ... 203988.stm
OneWingedBird
Beloved of Ra
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- Aug 3, 2003
- Messages
- 15,431
no sh*t sherlock :shock:
a former boss of mine once said her ENT specialist told her never to stick anything in her ear that was smaller than her elbow... guess this is why:
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/02/ ... b0205.html
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- Aug 7, 2001
- Messages
- 54,631
A somewhat less unhappy case:
Deaf boy's cotton wool bud 'cure'
A boy who has been partially deaf for nine years was suddenly cured - when a cotton wool bud popped out of his ear.
....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7214066.stm
JamesWhitehead
Piffle Prospector
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- Aug 2, 2001
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- 14,199
Ha! You see! All you wussies who killed yourself in fast cars, drink and drug-related incidents. I, JW, am king of the risk-takers. I, only I, have been cleaning my ears with (what we used to call ear-sticks) for the best part of half a century*! I claim the prize of champion dare-devil of all time. Bow down ye wimps!
Eh? Can't hear a word you say . . . :spinning
*yup, they were that bad!
Eh? Can't hear a word you say . . . :spinning
*yup, they were that bad!
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- 54,631
Jumping cow crash farmers cleared
Two farming brothers have been cleared of blame over a fatal road accident caused by a cow which became a "wild animal" when separated from its calf.
The cow jumped a six-bar gate and died when it was hit by a car as it stood in the road in Driffield, East Yorkshire.
Derek Shaw, a passenger in the car, was killed and his partner, Helen McKenny, who was driving, was injured.
The Court of Appeal ruled that the farmers could not have known about the cow's "exceptional jumping ability".
The cow, which also jumped a 12ft cattle grid, died in the accident in April 2002.
'Maternal instinct'
Ms McKenny, from Bridlington, sued farmer Peter Foster and his brother, Mark, of Little Houndales Farm at Driffield, near Bridlington, under the Animals Act.
But three judges at the Court of Appeal ruled that the farmers could not have known that the maternal instinct of the normally placid cow would drive the animal to make an "extraordinary" escape.
Lord Justice May said the "exceptional and exaggerated agitation resulting from her maternal instinct so that she was in the state of an excited, wild animal was not normal and was not known to the defendants".
The farmers were sued under a section of the Animals Act which makes owners liable for damage caused by an animal which does not belong to a dangerous species but has dangerous characteristics at certain times unless restrained.
The appeal judges found that although recently weaned cows have a desire to return to their calves, the cause of the accident was this cow's "exceptional jumping ability" which was not known to the farmers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/7281183.stm
Perhaps there's more truth in Nursery Rhymes than we thought.... :?
Two farming brothers have been cleared of blame over a fatal road accident caused by a cow which became a "wild animal" when separated from its calf.
The cow jumped a six-bar gate and died when it was hit by a car as it stood in the road in Driffield, East Yorkshire.
Derek Shaw, a passenger in the car, was killed and his partner, Helen McKenny, who was driving, was injured.
The Court of Appeal ruled that the farmers could not have known about the cow's "exceptional jumping ability".
The cow, which also jumped a 12ft cattle grid, died in the accident in April 2002.
'Maternal instinct'
Ms McKenny, from Bridlington, sued farmer Peter Foster and his brother, Mark, of Little Houndales Farm at Driffield, near Bridlington, under the Animals Act.
But three judges at the Court of Appeal ruled that the farmers could not have known that the maternal instinct of the normally placid cow would drive the animal to make an "extraordinary" escape.
Lord Justice May said the "exceptional and exaggerated agitation resulting from her maternal instinct so that she was in the state of an excited, wild animal was not normal and was not known to the defendants".
The farmers were sued under a section of the Animals Act which makes owners liable for damage caused by an animal which does not belong to a dangerous species but has dangerous characteristics at certain times unless restrained.
The appeal judges found that although recently weaned cows have a desire to return to their calves, the cause of the accident was this cow's "exceptional jumping ability" which was not known to the farmers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/7281183.stm
Perhaps there's more truth in Nursery Rhymes than we thought.... :?
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Man stuck in pavement hole for two hours
By Lucy Cockcroft
Last Updated: 7:44AM BST 28/06/2008
When this man accidentally dropped his cigarette lighter down a hole in a pavement he made the ill-advised decision to try and retrieve it – with his feet.
It was a choice he lived to regret. Having misjudged the diameter of the 18in (30 centimetre) hole, which workmen had dug to fix in a lamppost, he became wedged in it up to his armpits.
A crowd of more than 100 people gathered around to watch as he struggled to wriggle free. Some tried to pull him out, but he was stuck fast.
The unidentified man was eventually rescued by firefighters, after being laughed at and photographed by morning shoppers in Swansea, south Wales, for more than two hours.
One onlooker, 29-year-old builder Gareth Hughes, said: "He was wedged in so tight we'd have pulled his arms out of their sockets if we'd pulled any harder. He was stuck fast, right up to his chest.
"We were all stood around this unfortunate man in the hole having a right old laugh.
"The man said he'd gone in feet first to retrieve a lighter he'd dropped in the hole and got stuck.
"God knows how he even managed to squeeze in the hole because it was only 30cm in diameter.
"Once the firemen arrived, they strapped a rope round him, beneath his armpits, and winched him out."
An ambulance was put on standby to treat the man, but he was pulled out uninjured.
A spokesman for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: "We received a call saying a male was stuck in a service duct outside a curry house in Swansea.
"We used a quad pod, which has a winch, to pull him out."
An ambulance was on standby, but the man was uninjured.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... hours.html
By Lucy Cockcroft
Last Updated: 7:44AM BST 28/06/2008
When this man accidentally dropped his cigarette lighter down a hole in a pavement he made the ill-advised decision to try and retrieve it – with his feet.
It was a choice he lived to regret. Having misjudged the diameter of the 18in (30 centimetre) hole, which workmen had dug to fix in a lamppost, he became wedged in it up to his armpits.
A crowd of more than 100 people gathered around to watch as he struggled to wriggle free. Some tried to pull him out, but he was stuck fast.
The unidentified man was eventually rescued by firefighters, after being laughed at and photographed by morning shoppers in Swansea, south Wales, for more than two hours.
One onlooker, 29-year-old builder Gareth Hughes, said: "He was wedged in so tight we'd have pulled his arms out of their sockets if we'd pulled any harder. He was stuck fast, right up to his chest.
"We were all stood around this unfortunate man in the hole having a right old laugh.
"The man said he'd gone in feet first to retrieve a lighter he'd dropped in the hole and got stuck.
"God knows how he even managed to squeeze in the hole because it was only 30cm in diameter.
"Once the firemen arrived, they strapped a rope round him, beneath his armpits, and winched him out."
An ambulance was put on standby to treat the man, but he was pulled out uninjured.
A spokesman for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: "We received a call saying a male was stuck in a service duct outside a curry house in Swansea.
"We used a quad pod, which has a winch, to pull him out."
An ambulance was on standby, but the man was uninjured.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... hours.html
escargot
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He looks well fed-up on the photo. :lol:
Could've been serious though, say for an elderly person or someone with heart trouble or if his breathing had been restricted.
I fell through a faulty drain cover a few years ago and was badly bruised, and curiously didn't find it funny at all. :?
Could've been serious though, say for an elderly person or someone with heart trouble or if his breathing had been restricted.
I fell through a faulty drain cover a few years ago and was badly bruised, and curiously didn't find it funny at all. :?
escargot
Disciple of Marduk
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Seems to me that he was only just bright enough to go for the lighter feet-first. If he'd tried to reach it with a hand, he might've slipped some way down headfirst, one shoulder leading, and possibly suffocated. :shock:
Being laughed at is a lot less serious than being dead.
Being laughed at is a lot less serious than being dead.
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Man trapped in bin lorry rescued
A man had a "very lucky escape" when he was nearly crushed in a bin lorry after falling asleep in a skip, the fire service said.
The 30-year-old, who is thought to be of Eastern European origin, woke up in the back of the lorry in Birmingham.
He had been hidden under debris in the skip as it was emptied into the truck.
Refuse collectors had switched on the vehicle's compressors, unaware he was trapped. The man called police from his mobile and the bin lorry was found. :shock:
He was rescued by firefighters and engineers from Birmingham City Council, following the call to police in the early hours on Monday.
Banging sound
West Midlands Police said the lorry was tracked down at a council depot in Montague Street and no further police action was taken.
A West Midlands Fire Service spokesman said: "When crews arrived they found the man was trapped in the rear of a refuse lorry.
"They were led to believe he had been collected in a skip which had then been emptied into the bin lorry in the Edgbaston Street area of the city."
A council spokesman said refuse collectors had noticed a banging sound coming from the back of the truck, prompting them to switch off the compressors.
The man suffered minor cuts and bruises and was treated at the scene, the ambulance service said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/engl ... 482219.stm
A man had a "very lucky escape" when he was nearly crushed in a bin lorry after falling asleep in a skip, the fire service said.
The 30-year-old, who is thought to be of Eastern European origin, woke up in the back of the lorry in Birmingham.
He had been hidden under debris in the skip as it was emptied into the truck.
Refuse collectors had switched on the vehicle's compressors, unaware he was trapped. The man called police from his mobile and the bin lorry was found. :shock:
He was rescued by firefighters and engineers from Birmingham City Council, following the call to police in the early hours on Monday.
Banging sound
West Midlands Police said the lorry was tracked down at a council depot in Montague Street and no further police action was taken.
A West Midlands Fire Service spokesman said: "When crews arrived they found the man was trapped in the rear of a refuse lorry.
"They were led to believe he had been collected in a skip which had then been emptied into the bin lorry in the Edgbaston Street area of the city."
A council spokesman said refuse collectors had noticed a banging sound coming from the back of the truck, prompting them to switch off the compressors.
The man suffered minor cuts and bruises and was treated at the scene, the ambulance service said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/engl ... 482219.stm
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LPG car explodes as driver lights cigarette
A motorist had a miraculous escape when his LPG-powered car exploded in a fireball as he lit a cigarette.
By Paul Stokes
Last Updated: 6:43PM GMT 31 Oct 2008
Peter Tidbury had just filled his Peugeot 607 with 40 litres of gas at a service station and was driving at around 30mph.
He could smell gas in the car and passed it off as remnants from the petrol station but it was in fact a cloud of fuel in the cabin.
Mr Tidbury decided to smoke a cigarette :shock: and the second he ignited the lighter, its flame sparked a fireball.
The windows were blown out and the bonnet and boot were thrown open by the force of the blast.
Nearby householders were evacuated for fear of a further explosion and the windscreen was discovered 50 feet away.
His clothes melted on him and firefighters believe he survived serious injury or death because the seats took the force of the explosion.
He had bought the car privately for £5,000 three weeks earlier and two garage checks gave it a clean bill of health before he got behind the wheel.
Mr Tidbury, 55, an energy-saving company manager, who needed hospital treatment for minor flash burns, said: "It just wasn't my day to die."
Mr Tidbury, a widower from south-east London, drove to northern England last weekend to visiting his daughter and friends.
After a website to locate a filling station selling LPG, he filled up in Monk Bretton, Barnsley, South Yorkshire.
He said: "I was told you get a slight smell of gas when you fill up so thought nothing of it and wound the window down to freshen the air and put it back up again.
"I fancied a fag so wound the window down again slightly and then lit up. I was doing about 30mph and as I lit the cigarette there was an almighty explosion.
"The windows went out, the bonnet went up and the boot went up just as you see in the Hollywood movies. I was belted in and braked sharply. I can't remember this but I was told that I was directing traffic around the car whilst my suit jacket was still smoking.
"The fireball singed me on my face, hands and legs and melted my jacket lining and some of my shirt. I looked as if a firework had exploded in my face."
It is thought a leak in the pipe from the filler to the fuel tank allowed gas to seep into the car which ignited when he lit up.
He added: "When I walked past that car to get in the ambulance I thought that was not survivable. For me it is miraculous."
Mr Tidbury has ruled out buying another LPG car and intends to quit smoking. 8)
Fire station watch manager Neil McQuillan said: "The car looked like a hand grenade had gone off in it. How anyone can survive an explosion like that when the car is severely damaged is remarkable really."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/332 ... rette.html
A graphic example of "Smoking can seriously damage your health.."!
A motorist had a miraculous escape when his LPG-powered car exploded in a fireball as he lit a cigarette.
By Paul Stokes
Last Updated: 6:43PM GMT 31 Oct 2008
Peter Tidbury had just filled his Peugeot 607 with 40 litres of gas at a service station and was driving at around 30mph.
He could smell gas in the car and passed it off as remnants from the petrol station but it was in fact a cloud of fuel in the cabin.
Mr Tidbury decided to smoke a cigarette :shock: and the second he ignited the lighter, its flame sparked a fireball.
The windows were blown out and the bonnet and boot were thrown open by the force of the blast.
Nearby householders were evacuated for fear of a further explosion and the windscreen was discovered 50 feet away.
His clothes melted on him and firefighters believe he survived serious injury or death because the seats took the force of the explosion.
He had bought the car privately for £5,000 three weeks earlier and two garage checks gave it a clean bill of health before he got behind the wheel.
Mr Tidbury, 55, an energy-saving company manager, who needed hospital treatment for minor flash burns, said: "It just wasn't my day to die."
Mr Tidbury, a widower from south-east London, drove to northern England last weekend to visiting his daughter and friends.
After a website to locate a filling station selling LPG, he filled up in Monk Bretton, Barnsley, South Yorkshire.
He said: "I was told you get a slight smell of gas when you fill up so thought nothing of it and wound the window down to freshen the air and put it back up again.
"I fancied a fag so wound the window down again slightly and then lit up. I was doing about 30mph and as I lit the cigarette there was an almighty explosion.
"The windows went out, the bonnet went up and the boot went up just as you see in the Hollywood movies. I was belted in and braked sharply. I can't remember this but I was told that I was directing traffic around the car whilst my suit jacket was still smoking.
"The fireball singed me on my face, hands and legs and melted my jacket lining and some of my shirt. I looked as if a firework had exploded in my face."
It is thought a leak in the pipe from the filler to the fuel tank allowed gas to seep into the car which ignited when he lit up.
He added: "When I walked past that car to get in the ambulance I thought that was not survivable. For me it is miraculous."
Mr Tidbury has ruled out buying another LPG car and intends to quit smoking. 8)
Fire station watch manager Neil McQuillan said: "The car looked like a hand grenade had gone off in it. How anyone can survive an explosion like that when the car is severely damaged is remarkable really."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/332 ... rette.html
A graphic example of "Smoking can seriously damage your health.."!
escargot
Disciple of Marduk
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This could've been much worse -
Actor slits his own throat as knife switch turns fiction into reality
Actor slits his own throat as knife switch turns fiction into reality