oilshale Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Just a broken toe in Solnhofen, a smashed knie cap from a sledgehammer out of control in Odernheim (my hurting knie cap still reminds me from time to time on that day), lost my sense of hearing for a day or two when I tried to blast away some rocks in Erkerode (got some very nice crinoids, but had to spend the night in a police station for exchange). Thomas Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes (Confucius, 551 BC - 479 BC). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fruitbat Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Let's see....I've managed a few nasty dings at one time or the other: 1) knife through the thumb when digging a horse tooth out of the Texas Pliocene. 2) dislocated knee while examining a Hyracodon skull on top of the Brule formation in Nebraska (put an end to THAT Spring field season). 3) minor puncture wound from sitting on top of an upward-tilted Cretaceous shark tooth. 4) sore back from falling down a 20 foot embankment on the North Sulphur River. 5) blow to the head by a horse phalanx that came shooting out of the gravel sorter at a gravel pit on the Trinity River (was fortunately wearing a hard hat...but the impact was more than a bit stunning). 6) miscellaneous other minor scrapes, scratches, bumps, bruises and contusions at one time or the other. Potential disasters I managed to survive include: 1) being trapped on the side of a Brule formation cliffside while trying to follow Ken Smith (it took us over an hour to cut enough handholds in the cliffside to get down to a level surface). 2) being stuck waist-deep in the muck underneath a bridge on the North Sulphur River (glad I make a practice of always going fossil hunting with companions...it took two guys and a strong rope to pull me out of THAT one!). 3) being in the middle of a severe lightning and rainstorm while wandering the Sulphur River. Those who say it rises fast are RIGHT! -Joe Illigitimati non carborundum Fruitbat's PDF Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 While we've all been focusing on acute injuries, there is no telling of the collective toll on our bodies through chronic, weight bearing injuries. But the rheumatologist gave me some really good anti inflammatories that I predict will be chasing away my 2011 case of the chronic lazies! Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boesse Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 I broke my tailbone in spring 2010 while sliding down a gulley in the Santa Cruz Mountains - there was a ten foot drop at the end onto what appeared to be (at the time) a talus cone of loose sand, but was actually just a cone-shaped exposure of sandstone - I hit it so hard, my feet bounced off and forward (I landed with my toes pointing downhill) and I basically fell nearly ten feet straight onto my tailbone. I laid there for about ten minutes in agony, trying not to pass out or puke. It was okay, because I found a walrus jaw a few minutes later. My tailbone still gets sore if I sit for too long, almost two years later. Bobby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 (edited) lost my sense of hearing for a day or two when I tried to blast away some rocks in Erkerode (got some very nice crinoids, but had to spend the night in a police station for exchange). Thomas Oh Thomas! Naughty, naughty! But that was probably just the result of "jugendlichen Leichtsinn" Edited January 1, 2012 by Ludwigia Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilshale Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Oh Thomas! Naughty, naughty! But that was probably just the result of "jugendlichen Leichtsinn" Combination of "jugendlicher Leichtsinn" and "Berufskrankheit": I found that sort of chemistry always intriguing (I am a Chemist now). Thomas Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes (Confucius, 551 BC - 479 BC). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwbh Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Deloi you def have me beat. My worse injury happened while searching for megs in a very large dredge area where I live. I like to cover about 4 miles so I usually take a bike to get from spot to spot. This area is filled with holes and places where the rain has made little gullys and canyons. Grass grows literally everywhere. So I once was unlucky enough to ride strait into a 3 foot deep hole covered by grass, I went over the hadle bars and the bike soon followed, the heaviest part of the frame hitting me square on the knee cap. I still feel pain a year later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 (edited) Some lessons learned with 'near-injuries': For obvious reasons, always be aware of the wetness/muddiness and slope angle of any surface. Make note of the precariously balanced boulders above the area you're thinking of excavating (or walking). Poke at that boulder before you step on it. It's amazing how easy it is to move a 200-pound of rock when there are only two points of contact, especially in loose rubble. Don't jump. Ever. Whatever you think is at the bottom will be something unexpected (and worse). See the 'sand talus meets tail bone' post above. This goes for 'running descents' as well (you've all done this one. ) Make note of cases when vegetation on a steep slope acts as a catch for talus and scree. It may look like normal talus until you're on it and realize there is a drop-off below it. This happened the other day. When descending a steep slope, watch out for that grass that acts as a sliding aid. Watch out for those little vines that you don't see, especially near ground level. They like to trip you when you're going down hill. When muddy, make sure you can get back out of a creek, pit, etc. You'll be amazed how treacherous a muddy slope can be. That also goes for climbing down in the first place. Don't try to take all your fossils up or down in one trip. You will lose your handful or get injured trying not to. Watch out for the pits among thick field grass, especially if you happen to be walking on soil underlain with loess. A fascinating phenomenon of loess is the little tunnels that form in a bluff and work their way up to the soil level above. Well, not so fascinating when you happen to step or fall into one.... Wear glasses or shades when going through the woods or brush, especially in the winter. All those little branch tips.... Wear at least glasses or shades when hammering rock. Edited January 1, 2012 by Missourian Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeloiVarden Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 All you hillside climbers are making scuba diving sound pretty safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 i just realized that i erred on my previous post. i misremembered the situation, because it really happened, but it didn't involve me personally. sometimes i get my protagonists confused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 All you hillside climbers are making scuba diving sound pretty safe. Yeah. Our dangers involve primarily gravity and pointy things. With scuba diving, it's air and pointy things. Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 All you hillside climbers are making scuba diving sound pretty safe. (Whether you're falling, or something's falling on you, Mr. Gravity is not always your friend). "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemi-God Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 Other than a skinned shin on a stump in the river, I've escaped a few close calls. 1) A poisonous snake swimming between my legs in Charlie Creek. 2) A large, (full-sized), tree came floating towards me, from behind, while I was digging in the Peace River. My buddy happened to be out there with me and gave me a heads-up. (Good lookin' out Bro) 3) The Gator that got right up in amongst me and my fossil hunting buddy one day. 4) And by far, the nearest close-call I had, was with air-boaters. Or more precisely, air-boaters who had been drinking all day. (Yeah, that's always fun.) All in all, really not so bad. Not like some of the stories I've read here. .. *NOT an expert.I haven't a clue what I'm doing.But I'm loving every minute of it. .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdevey Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 (edited) Many years ago, while rock hunting. I hit a rock [to hard!!!] with the pick of my estwing. And had a small piece of steal shoot right into my thumb holding the hammer. I wasn't sure it was steal in there, until I held my rare earth magnet to it [outch!!!]. I went to the doctor twice to have it removed. The side of my thumb is numb to this day......But I was lucky, I have both my eyes. Bob Edited January 2, 2012 by bdevey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wRick Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 While diving for teeth with MegHunter in Venice last summer I wasn't finding many teeth. But, I did find several clams, so I brought them up with me and started to pry one open with my dive knife on the boat for a little between dive snack. The thought was just passing through my head that: "Man, this is kinda dangerous, if this knife slips off this clam I could really cut myself." Then, the boat rocked, the clam rolled, and I stabbed myself through the nail on my left thumb. Bled like a stuck pig and it hurt like heck. The nail was split into two parts all the way up under the skin, it just grew out enough that it's basically intact again. Still numb and painful when I press on it today. "There is no difference between Zen and Purgatory and Time Warner Cable, and they are trying to tach me this, but I am a dim impatient pupil." ----- xonenine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 Owww. Well I haven't had anything that drastic happen to me yet, but sure has been a lot of cuts and scrapes - that shale can be razor sharp! - and hammer on fingers, that type of thing. Soreness from overexerting.. Thinking back, I wonder why we put ourselves thru this much misery to fill our houses with rocks??? I suppose when it gets to that point, it's a genuine obsession. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFossilHunter Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Broken finger, broken leg(fibula), torn ligaments in the foot, countless wounds and bruises Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 ok, that does it. <going out to buy bandaids> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Oh yeah, remember to keep a first aid kit in the car. Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vordigern Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 side of my index finger by the knuckle always seems to take a pounding whether I have gloves on or not, its only partially healed right now from a hunt 2 weeks ago when I bloodied it up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Hi, The gravest which I underwent is a part of roch in the eye. I was in a pyrite quarry and a part came to find accommodation in my eye. That often arrived at me (but it was the 1st time in this quarry). I rubbed myself the eye and I continued my day, as the other times. In the evening, the pain was more lively, I did not support any more the light, I had to go to sleep early. In my eye, I saw a black petit point. The next day, I had to go to emergencies, but the doctor believed that I had received a brightness of my estwing in the eye. For me, it was important to know in reality what it was. And then he understood that it was about pyrite. It had begun to rust on my eye. Now, if I do not wear glasses each time, I close eyes every time I cop the rock. I had the same thing in the falun happened to me (shell and calcarous sediment) with ends of shells limestone in the eye, that absorbs the humidity of the eye. I also escaped from few in collapses (not very high), once of falun, a the next time of sand. But a kind of intuition made me me eject behind in time each time. In every case, I was not alone, and it was when I was young. Now, I go more attention. Coco ---------------------- OUTIL POUR MESURER VOS FOSSILES : ici Pareidolia : here Ma bibliothèque PDF 1 (Poissons et sélaciens récents & fossiles) : ici Ma bibliothèque PDF 2 (Animaux vivants - sans poissons ni sélaciens) : ici Mâchoires sélaciennes récentes : ici Hétérodontiques et sélaciens : ici Oeufs sélaciens récents : ici Otolithes de poissons récents ! ici Un Greg... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boneman007 Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Oh yeah, I forgot... Blown out shoulder requiring reconstructive surgery from helping vertman dig out a 48" ammonite from the Dallas area. Fun thing... Neither of us ended up with the ammonite.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelhead9 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 A microfossil with lots of tiny spines in the eye. Two hours in the opthologists chair and a really sore eye! Still Life Fossils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crabfossilsteve Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Yeah, I too have had numerous scraps, cuts and bruses and yeah close calls doing the old fossil hunting obsession. Guess my best adverture with a significant wound was a set of broken ribs. I was out on one of my summer hunts in the Olympic Peninsula looking for the willy crab fossil. Sometimes the simplest of actions can be the most dangerous. I was hunting for concretions on a beach and was returning to my car and was climbing over a downed tree on the beach. In the process of climbing over the dang thing, I slipped on the slink surface and fell onto an upwoard pointing tree limb stub. I came right down on it and felt and held this pop. Yeah it took my breath away and hurt. But it really started to hurt that night while camping and sleeping on the ground. Then there was the flight home 2 days later. Yippee. Crabfossilsteve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowsharks Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 ok, that does it. <going out to buy bandaids> and don't forget the neosporin....or get the bandaids with it already in them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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