@variablepulserate It was the day I stopped smoking. Tuesday, February 20th, 1990, 1:30pm. I was on a ladder at a utility pole which was beside (almost touching) a newer one. I had to transfer the telephone cabling and fittings from the old to the new. I was leaning back into my pole safety belt and realised my level was too low. I leaned forward and flipped the bight of the belt upward behind the pole, climbed one rung higher and leaned back into the belt. No good, still too low. Lean forward, flip belt climb higher, lean back.
Next thing I know I'm leaning impossibly far back and the belt clip is no longer retained and has vanished behind the pole.
With an almighty thud I landed on the only wooden fence post, the point of impact being 70 cm left of my lower spine. All other fence posts were steel star-pickets, so I had at least avoided impalement.
Then I bounced off the post landing back first onto a concrete footpath. I soon determined the most comfortable position was with my left knee raised and the left foot flan on the ground.
My workmate called an ambulance which took over 45 minutes to arrive from its depot 8 km away. I was taken to a major hospital where X-rays revealed I'd dislocated my right hip and fractured the left pelvis in three places.
I spent the next 16 days in hospital on strong painkillers every four hours. I was away from my regular workplace and duties for six months.
Thus I can claim broken fingers as minor injuries!
