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Bertram31.com General Bulletin Board
Long and Interesting Day...
Posted By: Capt Patrick McCrary
Date: Friday, 3 December 2004, at 11:14 p.m.
Well, I'm about to put myself to bed and retire fully for the weekend...
It was a long day, starting at 04:30 and just finished up with Gerry's updates at 22:00.
We got just about all of the tear out phase completed today, right at 79 hours spanning 4 work days. Just a few odd hardware pieces to remove, finish ripping out the 173 gal fuel tank, and run Russ' 3,500 psi pressure cleaner on Monday.
The really interesting part of the day came around 17:00 on I-95 on a run up to Jupiter.
I-95 is always under construction & just as I approached one of the areas that they are widening an overpass, the construction crane operator, pile driving big re-enforced concrete pilings, sneezes or something and jerks the boom a few degrees to the left. This, of course, snaps the piling at the base. He then over corrects to the right which snatches the pile driver rig off of the piling, sending it flopping down like a fallen tree across the existing 3 lanes of traffic.
Just about everybody approaching saw the whole scene unraveling and started slowing down. All but one car saw the sh*t fixing to hit the fan and came to a quick, but controlled, stop.
Unfortunantly, the guy in the inside lane was along side of a semi tractor/trailer rig, didn't have a clue, and was just about cut in half by the falling piling...
He had to be extracted with the Jaws of Life, peeling the whole top of the vehicle back like a can of sardines. 11 PM news said that he is in serious condition, but stable. A second slower and the piling would have been on his head rather than the back seat and trunk of his Caddy Northstar.
This all takes place about 50 yards in front of my truck. Boy, that'd sure ruin your day... Literly 6 - 10 seconds earlier for me, and Gerry's boat would have needed a new manager.
Oh, well, like I've always said: When your time's up, it's up and when it ain't it ain't...
Bruce was not only "Johnny on the Spot" to complete my duties in Jupiter, but even came back and hung out with me in the truck until they got one lane re-opened. I sat there for about 1 1/2 hours total, Bruce with me for 20 minutes or so.
Watching all the bird brained folks and some of their antics, including some "Officials" with seemingly dumb & conflicting directives was almost worth the wait... A real Charlie Foxtrot!
Yawnnnnnnn..........
C-Ya, manyanna.
Thanks Brother Bruce! You're My Man!
Best regards,
Patrick
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