UK - Man trapped upside-down on top of 290 foot tall chimney, Carlisle, 28 Oct 2019

Apologies for the picture, I honestly wasn't thinking he may be deceased when I posted.

I totally understand and am sure it didn't occur to you. I didn't even realize it was a possibility that you could end up dead from hanging upside down either. Like CoverMeCagney I'm also really curious why he was up there and how he got up there. And how did he get stuck up there upside down?
 
Drone footage from earlier this year, really close up to the top of the chimney. Really quite a beautiful feat of engineering. No ladder though - did I read somewhere that work was being done on it so a temporary ladder was up there?


I love local landmarks like this and it's a shame it will always be a reminder of today.
RIP to the gentleman who died.
Massive well done to the rescuers who got him down without anyone else getting hurt.
 
A man who died after getting stuck upside down at the top of a 290ft chimney for 15 hours had climbed temporary ladders put in place for maintenance work. Carlisle City Council said the lowest point of the ladders used by the man was 15ft (4.5m) above the ground and said they were within a walled and gated compound.

John Walkden, from Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, said firefighters could not "simply climb the ladder as the man had done".

"This was nearly 300ft in the air, with poor and unsafe access. We had some professional steeplejacks on scene who had been there since the early hours. They had previously worked on the chimney and their assessment was that if anyone tried to ascend the ladder, it could effectively have dislodged the man who was trapped at the top."

Chimney death man had climbed temporary ladders
 
Yeah, how did he climb a ladder that started 15 feet off the ground? I mean how is that even possible? Was he some amazing rock climber?

If you look at that video I posted, the last 10 seconds or so show a real close up of the chimney , and you can see there are metal brackets or something all the way up. I can only assume he managed to scramble up using those, or that there was something nearby to climb on to.
 
If you look at that video I posted, the last 10 seconds or so show a real close up of the chimney , and you can see there are metal brackets or something all the way up. I can only assume he managed to scramble up using those, or that there was something nearby to climb on to.

Thank you. I wonder if he was intoxicated. It seems such a scary and risky thing to do to climb something like that and in the middle of the night. :/ His poor family.
 
Thank you. I wonder if he was intoxicated. It seems such a scary and risky thing to do to climb something like that and in the middle of the night. :/ His poor family.
This is truly astounding. If he were intoxicated, how was he able to climb that massive chimney, only then for it to go haywire at the very top? RIP
 

From that link:

A family statement said: 'Phil was a strong, brave man who achieved a lot in his short life. Sadly, due to recent disclosures he made about historic trauma he suffered, Phil was battling with his mental health, with the love and support of his family and health professionals whilst trying to overcome this'

Terribly sad. Married with two children and three grandchildren, a popular and well loved chap. RIP Mr Longcake.
 

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