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January 06, 2007
Death by Catapult
For the benefit of the rest of the world, in 1986 the UK saw its most violent storm for over 350 years. Wind speeds in some parts exceeded 90 mph and incredible amounts of damage were done to property and people up and down the UK.
This story made several of the Kent newspapers at the time and - like most sane, rational beings I too found it difficult to believe - but it is absolutely true.
In Margate in the county of Kent, there are many tall Poplar trees and it's not uncommon for residents in the more rural areas to be surrounded by woods and spinnys. During the 1986 storm, an estimated 1 billion trees were lost - uprooted - by the gales. One hapless resident of Margate owned a house that bordered a small wood on the edge of which was 3 massive Poplars. The wind had felled 1 - which had come to rest across his back garden - while the other 2 had managed to resist the winds but had bent over just far enough to lodge their tops under the soffat of this guy's roof.
The foliage of the bent trees was obscuring almost 100% of the light, which would have entered his upstairs bedroom windows. Now, this chap did not own a chainsaw nor could he reach the trunks of the trees, which were several yards beyond his reach - even when leaning out of the window.
Undeterred by these frustrations and apparently unfettered by common-sense, he decided to find the base of the first tree, shin up the trunk from its location on the edge of the wood and (you can see it coming can't you?!!!) saw the top off while sitting astride the trunk with his feet wedged against his roof gutter.
After almost 20 minutes of sawing, the tree - which experts estimate held the energy equivalent to small field gun - broke away from the part he was sawing off and sprang back upright.
His body was found in a neighbor’s garden over 1 mile away and had suffered massive trauma. The police surgeon stated that his neck probably broke during the whiplash and he would therefore have known nothing of the impact with the ground.
Via: The Darwin Awards
Bwahahahahahahah!!!
...'held the energy equivalent to small field gun'...
What a dumbass.
Posted by Yabu at January 6, 2007 11:26 AM | Humor
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Like a frickin' Road Runner cartoon.
Posted by: Richard at January 6, 2007 08:45 PM
I guess the UK has its share of dumbass rednecks too huh?
:-)
Posted by: Assrot at January 8, 2007 08:25 PM
