You just never know what is going to happen when you go to work each morning as a rope access technician
Possibly My Most Unusual Assignment
A little while ago, a colleague and I were on our way back to HQ after a day’s work, when we got a call from the project office saying we have one more urgent job:
A cat requires extraction from a tree.
“No ways,” I thought..
But it was true. When we arrived at the site the owners said the cat had been meowing up there for two days, about 15m up the Norwegian pine tree.
At the time, I was IRATA L1 and my colleague, Øyvind, was SOFT L2 (also quite a strong sports climber). So he used the lead climbing method to ascend the tree, taking with him an empty rope bag, whilst I belayed.
Once Øyvind reached the casualty, he had to then entice the cat to get back in the bag. It took a while but eventually the no-longer-empty rope bag was on its way down to ground level.
The owners were very pleased to see their cat safe for one second before it bolted away from its rescuers to the nearest safe zone.
Øyvind was on his way down by now but he had to climb down the tree again in order to retrieve the anchors he set up on his ascent.
Once back on the ground, he explained why it took so long up there - the cat was much more vicious and resistant to rescue than he had hoped. He also added that thicker gloves would have been preferable.
So, in the end, the cat was saved, the owners were happy, and we were feeling more important than the fire brigade.
Just another day in the life of a rope access technician.