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UER Forum > UE Main > Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real (Viewed 137813 times)
Dee Ashley 


Location: DFW, Texas
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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 60 on 9/21/2016 1:35 PM >
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That was my fault, I always forget that the posts default to private. Sorry about that, I'll change it if I can.
Ok, done!

Edit to add the link - now made public:

https://uer.ca/for...sp?threadid=123875



[last edit 9/21/2016 1:38 PM by Dee Ashley - edited 1 times]

I wandered till the stars went dim.
blackhawk 

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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 61 on 9/21/2016 5:26 PM >
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This year alone there have been multiple deaths from people losing their balance and/or falling off structures.
All of these were 100% preventable.

Stay back from ledges, cliffs, and leave some safe space for a trip, slip, or misstep. Take your time.
Speed kills.
If on the edge or when climbing you have no margin for error. Wind gusts can knock you over, if windy use extra caution. Keep knees slightly bent and foot spacing wider when possible.
At height is not the place to learn how to balance or fucking climb.
KNOW your limits.
If it seems like a bad idea, it probable is. DON'T
STOP before you get to the point of no return.

-Every foot fall and handhold count-
Always wear high top lace up boots.
When climbing, keep your hands free. Don't try to carry anything with them!
Same applies to walking on/in critical areas.

Always keep a handhold with at least one hand when climbing. Interlock a elbow or better a leg when stopped.
3 solid points of contact always when climbing.
Don't do anything else when moving. Plant yourself to shoot, talk on the cell, text, whatever. Multitasking is a myth; you need 100% concentration when climbing or when near the edge.


If your feeling ill, don't go in and NEVER climb.

If you get ill there or climbing, fucking chill until you can safely leave or climb down.
Know when you are going to pass out; vision then hearing tunnel in, then consciousness will tunnel in, *gone*.
You need to get in a safe position fast. You may have less then a second. Go to the floor, fast if possible. Otherwise interlock your leg to the ladder... fast.

Fear is normal, but uncontrolled fear is not useful. You need to control fear by concentrating at the task at hand and think. Listen to your fears but don't let them command your actions.

If you fall it means -you- fucked up bad.
It is your responsibility alone never to get into a free fall to hell.

-There's no reward for failure except death-




[last edit 9/22/2016 2:00 PM by blackhawk - edited 2 times]

Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in.
CaptOrbit 


Location: Sarasota, FL or Cincinnati, OH
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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 62 on 9/22/2016 5:22 AM >
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When I was young and stupid I encountered a different kind of hell hole. A barge carrying a good-sized entertainment complex broke loose and drifted Downriver. It drifted ashore near downtown and tug boats came and pushed it against the landing. Where it was temporarily tied up on the Kentucky side of the river. It had suffered some damage during its trip and was left otherwise unattended while I assume the owners decided what to do with it.

I scoped it out for a few days and saw that Waterfront security only did a drive-by a few times a night, even then they seemed to treat it as an interloper as it really wasn't part of their property so they seemed to have very little interest in it. I thought I would check it out. Public parking was in plenty supply for all the nearby bars and restaurants so that wouldn't be a problem. Walking down near the riverfront also wouldn't be seen as suspicious. A few of the first floor exterior doors had been propped open presumably to dry out some of the water that have come through the damaged roof during the storm so the biggest challenge was simply walking out to the side of the boat and climbing on board.

Things are rarely so simple. The floodwaters had begun to recede and left a densely-packed mat of driftwood between the gently sloping concrete Bank and the side of the barge. The barge sat about 35 or 40 feet from where the concrete disappeared beneath the now dry driftwood. One of its semi retracted gangplanks extended about 5-8 feet towards the bank, easily spanning (what I incorrectly assumed was) the few foot gap between the actual bank and the side of the barge.

Since the mat of Driftwood was packed tightly against the side of the barge I decided to take no chances and found a relatively straight stick about 7 feet long and sturdy enough to thrust down into the mat of driftwood in front of me, just in case I had misjudged where the water began. With each step I would prod the driftwood as far in front of me as the stick would reach to check for movement and then taking taking the slimmer end of the stick I would thrust it down into the driftwood directly in front of me to probe for water.

I made slow but steady progress each probe ahead only met with an unyielding mass of wood and each thrust down only penetrated 3 to 4 inches before stopping and coming up dry. I was now close enough to the gangplank that I could reach out and tap the end of it with my stick. I was also getting dangerously close to the part where I felt I should congratulate myself for my cleverness.

Everyone here has read enough of these stories to know what that means.

As I prepared to take my next step I thrust the stick into the driftwood directly in front of me. It met its usual few inches of resistance before meeting none whatsoever. I quickly had to shift to keep my balance and ended up squatting while keeping both hands still on the stick but with only a few inches of it now above the mat still having not met the bottom. I did my best to delicately stand up and withdrew the stick.

It was now soaking wet.
Only about the top 1 foot of it remained dry and I had been holding it at about the 6-inch mark.

Ever so gently I slowly pivoted in place back towards the bank. I extended my arms all the way out and again thrust the stick downward this time much harder than I had been doing before. Again after a few inches of resistance it broke through. I pushed down as far as I could without losing my balance maybe about 3 or 4 feet and again the stick met no resistance I pulled it back up and it was dripping.

The realization of what I'd done began to wash over me. How could I have been so stupid? Now I felt like I was standing in the middle of a minefield, the safety of the concrete Bank 25 feet in front of me. I stood there frozen I honestly didn't know what to do. I thought maybe as I took each step I could lean forward hoping that if my leg went through I could throw myself on to the mat, but that meant the risk of being impaled and possibly still ending up in the water. I discarded my probe stick in favor of a shorter but thicker one which l now carried horizontally in front of me like a balancing pole hoping that if I dropped through it would catch and I would be able to pull myself back up on it.

Since I had no idea where the drop-off occurred each step getting back to the bank was agonizing especially the final few feet, but I made it.

That's my live and learn story of a hellhole that could have opened up into the waters of the Ohio at any moment.



[last edit 9/22/2016 5:26 AM by CaptOrbit - edited 1 times]

The personal responsibility train left the station years ago, and you gave it the finger as you watched it leave.
blackhawk 

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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 63 on 9/25/2016 3:42 PM >
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Valid point CaptOrbit.
Hellholes are anything you can fall into or have fall on you. We haven't talked much about the liquid variety on this thread.

For those who like to water tanks and want to take a swim in one beware. Make sure there's a internal ladder that goes well below the water line and it's in good condition before going nutz.
On smaller diameter tanks with a 12 inch outlet pipe peak demand could be an issue... don't stray too far from the ladder until you know

I've taken dips in a few. Open top ones are the best. Unfortunately post 911 tanks are harder to access now.




Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in.
Aran 


Location: Kansas City
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Huh. I guess covid made me a trendsetter.

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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 64 on 9/26/2016 3:46 AM >
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Posted by blackhawk
Valid point CaptOrbit.
For those who like to water tanks and want to take a swim in one beware. Make sure there's a internal ladder that goes well below the water line and it's in good condition before going nutz.
On smaller diameter tanks with a 12 inch outlet pipe peak demand could be an issue... don't stray too far from the ladder until you know


Smaller diameter pipes aren't just an issue at peak demand- they are a serious hazard at ANY time.

Blackhawk, you commonly remind us all to be extremely cautious around hellholes and heights, but I don't think I've heard the aquatic variant mentioned yet, perhaps because it rarely comes up as an issue... Differential Pressure locations.

Differential Pressure, or Delta P locations, are areas where a relatively large amount of water is moving from a large container/ body of water to another location through an opening with a small diameter. The result of this is (to greatly simplify) a strong suction force, with the capability to pin, drown, and in some cases, severely mutilate swimmers.

There have been several cases of trained professional divers being sucked partially into the outflow pipe of water towers, and being unable to free themselves before their air tank ran dry. A swimmer without SCUBA gear wouldn't stand a chance. By the time a rescue dive team reached you, they would only be good for corpse recovery.

If you are roughly 50 feet under water and your arm is pinned inside an outflow pipe, trying to extract it would require the same amount of strength as lifting a car completely off the ground one handed. Think about that for a moment.

Delta P hazard locations are almost always unmarked, with virtually no warning signs when you get too close, or even from a distance. These can take the form of pool drains, water tower pipes, sluice gates, and even strong currents in rivers running past fallen trees.

The video at the end of this post does an excellent job of explaining, demonstrating, and warning about the dangers of Delta P locations. If you skip to 4:44, it shows a scenario that takes place in a water tower tank.

Now, I know that for the vast majority of you, this post doesn't have any bearing on your exploration. However, for those of you that do swim in tanks and other locations, be careful out there.

https://www.youtub...atch?v=AEtbFm_CjE0

Delta P locations are difficult to detect and extremely dangerous. Always exercise the same caution where they might exist as you would around hellholes on land.



[last edit 9/26/2016 3:51 AM by Aran - edited 1 times]

"Sorry, I didn't know I'm not supposed to be here," he said, knowing full well he wasn't supposed to be there.

Dee Ashley 


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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 65 on 9/26/2016 11:35 AM >
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Smaller diameter pipes aren't just an issue at peak demand- they are a serious hazard at ANY time.

Blackhawk, you commonly remind us all to be extremely cautious around hellholes and heights, but I don't think I've heard the aquatic variant mentioned yet, perhaps because it rarely comes up as an issue... Differential Pressure locations.

Differential Pressure, or Delta P locations, are areas where a relatively large amount of water is moving from a large container/ body of water to another location through an opening with a small diameter. The result of this is (to greatly simplify) a strong suction force, with the capability to pin, drown, and in some cases, severely mutilate swimmers.

There have been several cases of trained professional divers being sucked partially into the outflow pipe of water towers, and being unable to free themselves before their air tank ran dry. A swimmer without SCUBA gear wouldn't stand a chance. By the time a rescue dive team reached you, they would only be good for corpse recovery.

If you are roughly 50 feet under water and your arm is pinned inside an outflow pipe, trying to extract it would require the same amount of strength as lifting a car completely off the ground one handed. Think about that for a moment.

Delta P hazard locations are almost always unmarked, with virtually no warning signs when you get too close, or even from a distance. These can take the form of pool drains, water tower pipes, sluice gates, and even strong currents in rivers running past fallen trees.

The video at the end of this post does an excellent job of explaining, demonstrating, and warning about the dangers of Delta P locations. If you skip to 4:44, it shows a scenario that takes place in a water tower tank.

Now, I know that for the vast majority of you, this post doesn't have any bearing on your exploration. However, for those of you that do swim in tanks and other locations, be careful out there.

https://www.youtub...atch?v=AEtbFm_CjE0

Delta P locations are difficult to detect and extremely dangerous. Always exercise the same caution where they might exist as you would around hellholes on land.


As soon as I saw this post, it reminded me of a tragedy that happened here in DFW that involved an 8 year old girl becoming trapped in of these currents. She, her father, her brother, and another unrelated person died trying to save the little girl, as they all became trapped in the powerful suction. The water was only 9 feet deep. Firefighters couldn't even free their bodies without breaking into the pump station to stop the source of the current.
Death by drowning/asphyxiation terrifies more more than any other means of death. I'd rather be eaten by a wild animal, no joke.

https://lifesaving.com/node/1169

http://www.nbcnews...32929#.V-kHZZMrLFQ




I wandered till the stars went dim.
NellA_NiveD 


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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 66 on 10/9/2016 8:48 PM >
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I've got this old aircraft factory near me that I used to frequent early in my exploring days. The building is in terrible structural shape, but being younger and dumber, I figured the second floor would be strong enough to hold. About halfway down the hallway my foot fell through to my knee. Scared the shit out of me. Needless to say, I haven't been back there as I really just don't know when its going to come down on itself. Definitely opened my eyes to being more cautious when exploring though.




Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints
@urban_delinquents
Aran 


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Huh. I guess covid made me a trendsetter.

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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 67 on 10/13/2016 6:48 AM >
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Turns out, the term "Hellhole" was not in the UER Encyclopedia, so I took the liberty of adding it. Feel free to let me know if I missed anything. Here's the entry:

http://www.uer.ca/...urrpage=1&pp#post0




"Sorry, I didn't know I'm not supposed to be here," he said, knowing full well he wasn't supposed to be there.

NellA_NiveD 


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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 68 on 10/13/2016 2:25 PM >
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I was going through my pics from my last trip and found this. Easily identifiable during the day but could be deadly at night. It's an old laundry warehouse. Probably 20ft ceilings or so.





[last edit 10/13/2016 2:27 PM by NellA_NiveD - edited 1 times]

Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints
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blackhawk 

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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 69 on 10/13/2016 9:01 PM >
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Posted by Aran
Turns out, the term "Hellhole" was not in the UER Encyclopedia, so I took the liberty of adding it. Feel free to let me know if I missed anything. Here's the entry:

http://www.uer.ca/...urrpage=1&pp#post0


Too much yet incomplete.




Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in.
Aran 


Location: Kansas City
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Huh. I guess covid made me a trendsetter.

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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 70 on 10/14/2016 8:45 AM >
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Posted by blackhawk


Too much yet incomplete.


Clarification?




"Sorry, I didn't know I'm not supposed to be here," he said, knowing full well he wasn't supposed to be there.

blackhawk 

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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 71 on 10/16/2016 8:07 PM >
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-Confined spaces-
Going into a hatchway can be hellhole portal to death.
In industrial settings you need to be extremely weary of any confined space, even if empty or a tank with an open top.
This worker was asphyxiated in an open top tank containing molasses. The O2 levels were too low to support life and he fell unconscious and drowned.
http://www.mlive.c...e_finding_wor.html

Low oxygen levels give little or no warning. Elevated CO2 will cause you to breathe faster, the only warning; leave immediately if you experience abnormal rapid breathing. Decaying organic matter can generate this heavier than air, odorless, colorless gas along with methane gas, and the worst hydrogen sulfide!

Carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and other inert gases is also used to purge vessels. They maybe leftover from when the vessels were in use.
They may contain solvents/vapors and not support life; one breathe may result in immediate unconscious.

Finally if there is rust scale present in the confined space, even if dry, disturbing it may release a lethal amount of hydrogen sulfide, an is insidious and proven killer.

Be observant of chemical labeling and warnings in the areas you are exploring. Residues and even large amounts may still be present. Treat such areas as if they were still in use. Trust nothing; corroded pipes, tanks, supports, anchor bolts etc can fail just by touching, walking on or hanging from them.

Do your homework; understand the chemicals commonly used in that industry and site if possible. Research these chemicals, their appearance, properties, and dangers. Paper mills are notorious for using caustics and strong beaching agents such as chlorine dioxide. Sodium hydroxide, a common caustic, feels slippery to the touch, is hard to wash off and with the slightest moisture is extremely corrosion to human fresh. That dry off white to white residue you see may be something you don't want to touch, get in your eyes or on your clothing! I've seen open vats with 100+ pounds of dried caustic still present. In solution it's clear and even more hazardous. That clear, odorless liquid in that tank/vat maybe more than water.
Always carry water especially in sites with chemicals for first aid.

Another commonly found feature are industrial cooling/refrigeration systems. They may contain anhydrous ammonia, sulfur dioxide or freon. DO NOT disturb their lines or equipment in any way. Even a release of 100# of freon can asphyxiated you. If it's ammonia... you are so fucked. Exercise extreme caution when going into walkin coolers and freezers. If you detect any odor of ammonia or SO2, leave. All of these gases except for ammonia are heavier than air and can accumulate in low areas.




Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in.
Aran 


Location: Kansas City
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Huh. I guess covid made me a trendsetter.

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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 72 on 10/17/2016 1:13 AM >
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All very good points, but wouldn't those mostly fall under air quality and chemical hazards as opposed to falling/ structural hazards?

As for the paper mills, you couldn't be more spot on. Speaking as someone who didn't take enough precautions and burned themselves on moist Calcium Chloride (Lime dust) when I first started exploring, I cannot advocate caution in paper mills enough. However cautious you would be anywhere else, triple that and maybe you'll come close to being prepared.

Anyone who says that gloves, thick clothing, a respirator (or at least a dust mask), and proper decontamination methods are overkill doesn't know what they're talking about. I would classify an old paper mill hands down as the most hazardous location I've ever explored.



[last edit 10/17/2016 1:13 AM by Aran - edited 2 times]

"Sorry, I didn't know I'm not supposed to be here," he said, knowing full well he wasn't supposed to be there.

blackhawk 

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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 73 on 10/17/2016 2:24 AM >
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Hellholes are anything you can fall into hell through. Gravity isn't the only culprit... crawling/climbing into an O2 deficient or poison gas filled atmosphere can prove as deadly as a 100 foot fall.

-Likewise if the skin and flesh are corroded away before your eyes; you see the hellholes left behind-

I just added a new definition for a term I've been using for years... at the risk of derailing my own thread.
However the dangers explorers face are overlapping and multiple many times. The boundary between being whole and healthy can changed abruptly with a simple misguided motion or action; hellholes.


Since gravity/velocity are everywhere in normal life, they are the most common cause of accidental death... but not the only.

An opening to an unsampled confined space is indeed a potential hellhole... they merit discussion.




Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in.
Aran 


Location: Kansas City
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Huh. I guess covid made me a trendsetter.

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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 74 on 10/17/2016 2:43 AM >
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While you are right about the myriad of hazards involved in any exploration, I find it usually helps to divide them into categories. I usually divide hazards into one of 5 primary classifications, based on the unique responses needed to deal with them:

Structural: Any hazard that is part of the location itself- examples include holes in the floor, exposed nails, broken glass, falling debris, flooding, and structural collapse.

Material: Any biological or chemical hazard on site- examples include hazardous chemicals, asbestos, mold spores, dried animal feces, animal corpses, used needles, dangerous plants, etc.

Air Quality: Hazards caused by the chemical makeup of the air. This includes hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, CO2, methane, and low oxygen content. This is classified separately from Material hazards due to the unique dangers they pose, and the precautions that must be taken.

Fauna: Any non- human animal or insect that may live in an abandonment. Examples include dogs (wild and guard), raccoons, rats, bees, poisonous spiders or insects, snakes, bats, and other animals that may either carry diseases or attack if startled. Their corpses and feces are material hazards instead of Fauna hazards, due to the different precautions that must be taken.

Human: Arguably one of the most dangerous of all. Simultaneously the most unpredictable and varied as well as the one most familiar to explorers. This can range from addicts and dealers to the mentally ill to LEOs and property owners.


By dividing them like so, I find it helps to figure out what requires my focus to mitigate, although many often overlap. I would classify holes and such as structural hazards, and chemicals as material hazards, just because it helps break it down and plan for it.



[last edit 10/17/2016 2:44 AM by Aran - edited 1 times]

"Sorry, I didn't know I'm not supposed to be here," he said, knowing full well he wasn't supposed to be there.

ahhntzville 


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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 75 on 10/17/2016 12:46 PM >
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Posted by Aran
I find it usually helps to divide them into categories.

How does that help, exactly?




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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 76 on 10/17/2016 4:19 PM >
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A mans gotta know his Hell holes no matter how subjective that term might be.




Aran 


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Huh. I guess covid made me a trendsetter.

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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 77 on 10/18/2016 7:06 AM >
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Posted by ahhntzville

How does that help, exactly?


I keep a personal database of all the locations I've explored, as well as on tips I'm following up on. Dividing potential hazards into categories allows me to figure out what I need to bring to each location at a glance, and it saves space on the database.

In essence, these classifications are about what countermeasures must be employed to minimize the hazards, and thus similar hazards are grouped similarly.




"Sorry, I didn't know I'm not supposed to be here," he said, knowing full well he wasn't supposed to be there.

blackhawk 

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Re: Hearns Accident Account
< Reply # 78 on 10/18/2016 4:11 PM >
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This story has been posted on my private board. It's on the internet if you look for it.
It's a first hand account of how a UER member lost their life to a hellhole.
Many of us, myself included, have almost done something similar, it's so easy to do.
Learn from this.


Fatal fall at Hearns, a first hand account


Studies In Comfort - Ian Levack Sunday June 15th 2008 

Ryan and I woke with a plan. The plan being to sneak into the abandon R.L. Hearn Thermal Generation Power Plant which is located in the south east area of downtown Toronto. We had made a trip over to the power plant a week prior to scout out the area, to see where guards were located and to find easy access inside. Sneaking past the guard house located at the front of the property and making our way along the north west section of property towards the back of the plant where the barbed wire fence was weakest. We then smoked three quarters of a joint together before working up the nerve to hop the fence. Ryan went first, watching him hop the fence and dart out into the yard and hiding behind scrap metal for cover then finally making it to the back of the building. Then it was my turn. What excitement that was, knowing your breaking the law to do something adventurous. After getting onto the property we were standing at the back of the Hearn and looking for our way inside. To do so we had to hop up onto a metal fence post and from there had to reach up and grab ahold of plywood that covered up the tall entrance area. A good 15 foot climb up, over and in. Once inside the first photo that was taken was the one of Ryan and I standing together, titled &quot;final hours&quot;. This place was like no other we had ever explored together. The shear size of it all was breathtaking and mind blowing at the same time. The beauty of destruction. After the first photo was taken we started exploring the plant. Taking the necessary precautions we had come prepared with asbestos masks and flashlights. We had made our way around on the ground floor, through locker rooms, showers, storage rooms. Then we started making our way up stairs to the 2nd and 3rd level offices, had the remainder of our joint together. From the office levels we went back onto the factory area and started climbing the metal stairs up further still. Some photos show how high up we were in that building. We then made ourselves up onto the roof. What a view from there looking out over the city core. Looking out over Lake Ontario we saw really dark storm clouds. Ryan pulled out a cigarette and had a smoke. We were up on the roof for about a half hour before Ryan asked me &quot;what do you want to do now man?&quot;. &quot;Do you want to go home now or stay a bit longer and explore?&quot;. My camera battery had died at this point and being there any longer served no purpose for me. I was hesitant on a response because at the same time I wanted to keep exploring because the plan was to keep coming back weekend after weekend to explore and document the old structure. I then agreed to keep exploring. We came in off the roof, coming down a level, walked through a doorway into a long looking dark room. All across the top level of The Hearn runs conveyor belts that run coal from one end to the other. Walking together along the metal grating flooring. Ryan was 2 feet in front of me. I then ended up tripping over a small extruded piece of metal on the floor, and from that second on I pointed my flashlight directly onto the floor to see where I was walking. Very shortly after this happens, in mid sentence Ryan just falls into blackness. All I see is from his waist up as he plunges into complete blackness and followed by about 4-5 seconds before hearing a sick crash far below. I then look 2 feet in front of me and see there is no more floor. My imediant thought is that he is dead. Then my brain clicks &quot;I have to get my best friend out of here&quot;. I then tried my best to back track to get out of the building, taking a route that he and I had not taken to get to this point. All I knew is I had to get out of The Hearn and find someone that could help. I don't even know how I got out of that place. When I did I came out on the back side of the building, ran around to the guard house screaming for help. I screamed to the guard that my best friend just fell in there and is hurt really bad, he asked what we were doing in there and I told him we were just taking photos. The guard then called like every paramedic, fire and police officer in the city. About 10 minutes after the call was made all I could hear were the sirens. Scared and relived at the same time I was. Once they all showed up I told them Ryan was in there, that we were up high in the building and he fell. All the cops were telling me to retrace my steps, they wanted to see where we came in from. I screamed at them &quot;we don't have time for that right now, my best friend is dying in there&quot;. I then started leading them to the front of the Hearn because I knew it was the closet way inside. We get to the front and all entrances were boarded up. One cops said to me &quot;Ian there is no way in through this way, you have to show us where you came in from&quot;. I then demanded to the fire fighters that they bust this plywood down to get inside. Once inside the cops started fucking with my mind, me being in total shock at the time they started asking me where we had explored, they wanted me to take them on what would have been a few hours of exploration, which we didn't have time for. Then an officer finds his asbestos mask and glasses. My first thought is he was okay, that he somehow managed to crawl out under his own power. I was wrong. His mask and glasses had bounced off of objects on the fall and Ryan was nowhere to be found. The police tried getting ahold of Rogers Communication to see if they could pin point his location with the cell phone he had on him. They ended up using thermal vision to locate him. He was trapped in a coal hopper located high up in the building. I was escorted out at this point in time because I was too &quot;hysterical&quot; for the cops liking. Two and a half hours went by, a fierce thunderstorm was passing through. While they were working on getting Ryan out I was giving my statement to the police. Never gave one of those in my life. I told them everything that I am writing here right now, everything, even the joint smoking. I had Nothing to hide. We went in undetected but I didn't care if the whole world was watching at this point, I was doing what any best friend would do. I was trying to save him. City Pulse News was there and I was trying to hide from them. I was scared that this is how his family would find out and how my family would find out, being Fathers days and all. After two and a half hours of hell they finally got Ryan out. I watched them carry him out on a backboard and I yelled to him that I loved him. Ryan was rushed to St. Micheals Hospital. The best in all the city for trauma. I followed about an hour after him, being escorted in a police car. On the drive one officer said to me &quot;this is going to cost you and your buddy about a hundred thousand dollars for all that had to be done here today&quot;. What a jackass thing to say. I responded by saying &quot;I don't give a fuck about money, take all I have from me I don't care, I'm loosing the most important person in my life right now&quot;. We get to the hospital, I enter the trauma wing of St. Micheals. They told me that I was going to be the one to call the home of the Nyenhuis'. I thought that was insane, and told them I could not make that call, that they would have to. I then went into the waiting room, sat down. I remember the NBA finals were on the televisions in there and I ended up falling asleep somehow. Waking to Stevie and Tammy's faces hours later (Stevie being Ryan's room mate and Tammy being Ryan's girlfriend). Stevie told me that John and Cheryl were on their way and that we could go up stairs to the trauma ward to see Ryan. The trauma centre, located on the 9th floor of St. Micheal's Hospital. Hours passed by, as the night went on the news kept getting worse and worse about his condition. I ended up leaving to come back to my apartment at 6am the following morning, I had to talk to my parents and try and shovel some food into my system. Still being in shock and never got treatment for shock when it happened. I returned to the hospital at 3pm that day. Only to find nothing had changed with his condition. Then came the worst words I ever had to hear, Ryan's father coming in the room and telling me it was time to say goodbye to Ryan. We made our way into where he was being cared for. To see my best friend in the state he was in broke my heart. Blood coming out the back of his head, body black and blue bruised from head to toe, internal damage that could not be repaired, feeling his forehead and it being ice cold. He was laying there infront of us, dead. Machines were the only thing keeping him &quot;alive&quot;. I said my goodbyes to him, telling him that he can't leave me here, he can't leave the creation of Studies In Comfort behind, something that is so brillant, that we were supposed to take over the world together and do all that was planned. I told him to haunt me. I then looked at his eyes and saw tears. He may have been brain dead but I know he heard every word I said. Doctors did not give an explanation to what was coming out of his eyes. If only I had said to Ryan &quot;hey man watch your step&quot; he might still be alive today. I have been told over and over again that I can not blame myself for what happened that day. I sometimes still do. Ryan and I once had a conversation that if something ever happened to one of us that Studies In Comfort would stop, without a core creator there is no sense to continue it. Well I am going against those wishes. I can't lose what he and I created even before it took off the ground. I now know my purpose in life. To carry on Studies In Comfort. I must continue on for him, finish off the 3 studio albums we had in the works and continue on with this art form. Ryan died at the wheel and I have moved his lifeless body to the passengers seat and now a fucking insane madman is driving the mac truck, running over all who get in our way. Ryan Nyenhuis, whos favourite artist was Nine Inch Nails, who lived on floor number 9, who wore a roman numeral 9 on his right arm, who died on the 9th floor at St. Micheal's Hospital, Toronto. Thank you to 55 Division and all the paramedics and fire fighters who helped get Ryan out of that dark place. Ryan Nyenhuis is survived by his father, John, mother Cheryl, sisters, Jennifer and Leah, dog Sophie, myself and Studies In Comfort. Ryan John Nyenhuis July 28th 1981 - June 15th 2008 We love and miss you. ___________________________ All photographs were taken by Ryan Nyenhuis & Ian Levack with a Casio EX-Z1050 camera. Follow us on Facebook:http://ww...sincomfort Studies In Comfort Music:http://www.s...omfort Photography Work:http://www.fl...m\photos\ianlevack

11/04/2015 00:26 am

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Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in.
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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 79 on 10/20/2016 3:02 AM >
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Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Posted by blackhawk
This story has been posted on my private board. It's on the internet if you look for it.
It's a first hand account of how a UER member lost their life to a hellhole.
Many of us, myself included, have almost done something similar, it's so easy to do.
Learn from this.

...


Holy fuck that's sad. I can't imagine what I would do if someone I cared about was killed like that.

I never leave for an explore thinking it may be my last, even though it very well could be.




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