Yachats Oregon Writer Rick Schultze

Sometimes I wonder about folks who do risky things. There are lots of risky challenges from skydiving to deep sea diving and many other ventures that can turn risky in the blink of the eye. The most obvious risky challenges usually clearly state the rules of the game. If you’re skydiving you make sure you have a working parachute and an experienced pilot who can guide the aircraft to the right spot and oh yes, you check for the proper weather conditions to jump in. If you’re deep sea diving you need the best breathing equipment possible and a responsible crew to monitor your decent into the depths. If you’re a race car driver you want all the necessary safety equipment, good tires, a clear focus and a debris free race track.

Of course this sounds like a grade school lesson but when you look at the number of accidents and catastrophes that happen it makes you wonder if some of the people involved missed the lesson. How does someone explain how fishermen get swept away in foul weather while fishing from shore at the ocean? How does someone explain how experienced mountain climbers become lost in bad weather conditions and didn’t have locater beacons on them? Didn’t these experienced individuals check the weather conditions which can be pinpointed down to the finest detail these days? Or did they think they could fool Mother Nature? We all know the answer to that; you can’t fool Mother Nature and it’s crazy to try. This isn’t a column to belittle or talk bad about folks that have fallen prey to misfortune but rather to point out that perhaps a bit of over confidence has something to do with these circumstances. All humans have routines and habits they develop over the years and the more experienced you become at something the more it seems to become second nature. However, while that may be great in ninety percent of what you do it can be deadly in ten percent of things you do that involve high risks. As I write this I’m watching two men working in trees cutting down broken branches. They are experienced I can tell and as I watch I take note of all the safety gear they are wearing and the safety ropes that are their lifelines in case of a slip or fall. They are doing a risky job but aren’t taking any risks. In this part of Oregon there a lot of occupations that could be considered very risky and hazardous but surprisingly the accident rates are fairly low.

That is due to the fact that they are paying attention to details and using all the technology and safety gear and information available. Ask any worker that works in the woods or at sea if they watch what they do and I’m sure you will get yeses from most and that’s a great thing. So let’s leave it at this; if you are going to take on a risky challenge please for everyone’s sake pay attention, use common sense and don’t push the envelope of safety past its breaking point.

To reach Rick Schultze email: yarick@pioneer.net