Conase wrote:
I don't know another group to post to and have gotten answers on
questions here in the past.

I was watching The Weather Channel on TV, and they were doing a
helicopter rescue in a flash flood in Vegas area.

The policeman who actually went down the cable to rescue the trapped
girl said


Electricity follows down the cable and as you get near the water you
start grounding out and the shock hits you and feels like "twice the
strength of sticking your finger in a light socket".

NEVER HEARD OF THIS !

Where is the electricity coming from ?
Static from a cable going down a pulley ?
If true, why can't they put some kind of INSULATOR between the hook
and the cable ?
Construction workers experience cranes and cables on pulleys everyday
with no problem AFAIK.
Where is the electricity coming from ?


We always see these rescues on TV, and no rescuer looks like s/he is
shocked at 240 volts.

TIA

Static. Rather high voltage and difficult to overcome with an insulator
large enough to stop it and still suitable for the use. It would also
likely require a grounding of the line to the local earth prior to pickup,
not always possible.

Personally I think the description "twice the strength of sticking your
finger in a light socket" was poorly chosen at best.



--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math