Harry Bloomfield; "Esq." wrote in message
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Jethro_uk has brought this to us :
Could they not have flown the helicopter higher, and trailed the rope to
be moved into position by people on the ground, and then the rescue
worker goes down that ?

Rescuers could not initially get to him from the ground up, because the top section
ladder was adrift from the chimney. It doesn't explain why rescuers could not have been
lowered down to the chimney top, from the helicopter.

They reason they gave is the downdraft caused by the helicopter
blowing the chap off of the chimney. I looked this up on the net
with little success but climbing and other fall arrest ropes capable
of taking the weight of a man go to 100's of metres and I very much
doubt ( without any concrete evidence ) that a helicopter hovering
would cause appreciable down draft on the top of a chimney 100 or
more metres below. 10 metres or less, yes, obviously. The rescuer
could be winched down with an easily fitted rescue harness attached
to a separate rope.


michael adams

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