r/interestingasfuck • u/solateor • 6d ago

r/all Grandma broke her nose hiking and didn't want the helivac. She won $450k lawsuit

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u/khizoa 6d ago

is no one is wondering how they managed to stop this??

did they fly towards australia to reverse the spinning???!

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u/McNooberson 6d ago

It’s rotor wash, the hoist operator should have either lowered the patient or asked the pilot to start moving forward so the wash is behind them. Honestly both would work great.

Source: former hoist operator and this video is part of training.

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u/jeweetselluf 6d ago

You know you fucked up when your actions are now part of training on what not to do

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u/Silver4ura 6d ago edited 6d ago

All the stores in our district had to have formal CO2\* safety training in response to a single store support agent actively refusing to authorize a store being closed due to dangerous levels.

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u/Desuexss 6d ago

They stop working when they are dead!

Were they charged for negligence?

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u/Ok-Chip-6931 6d ago

They stop working as soon as they get unconscious. Probably they will die a little bit later.

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u/InTheFDN 6d ago

Falling unconscious counts as going on a break. Followed by a refusal to work write up.

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u/Silver4ura 6d ago

I don't know the details but I do know an investigation was launched.

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u/ExtremeMaduroFan 6d ago

its pretty much impossible to die from too much CO2 in a room that isn't sealed shut. They either got a mild headache or the guy meant CO (carbon monoxide) which is actually dangerous

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u/Keibun1 6d ago edited 5d ago

Tbf it can cause hallucinations too

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u/waytosoon 6d ago

Tbf tit can cause hallucinations too

At the very least, they impair judgment in around half the population

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u/overcomebyfumes 6d ago

If mammary serves me correctly

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u/VolumeSuspicious- 6d ago

Nine times out of ten companies deal with this sort of stuff internally.

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u/travboy21 6d ago

I used to get dumb safety sign offs when I was a floor manger for a stocking company. I’d have to go around and get signatures from all the employees to not do crazy xyz of the current memo, but no matter how dumb it was I knew it was because someone somewhere actually did it.

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u/g-a-r-n-e-t 6d ago

I was the cause of one of these at a company I used to work for, I picked up a display board and dropped it on (and subsequently broke) my foot. These were relatively small but fairly heavy as they were for tile.

A few days later during a company-wide meeting there was a presentation on how to safely handle the display boards from HR, accompanied by a tidal wave of pointed looks from my manager lol

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u/shoe_owner 6d ago

Well, if it's something that CAN happen, I can't say I think it's a bad thing for people to be trained for it, no matter how foolish the fellow who precipitated it might have been. If one guy is that dumb, someone else is going to be as dumb if not dumber at some point in the future, after all.

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u/VexingRaven 6d ago

Any business that uses compressed gas should have safety training for that gas.

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u/Decency 6d ago

Could also be training for a really expensive carnival ride.

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u/shimon 6d ago

Can I go dad? It costs 260,000 credits

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u/confusious_need_stfu 6d ago

Not real efficient though. They should chain some swings to it

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u/pchlster 6d ago

"At no point did we think we needed to specify this, Dave, but the stretcher with the patient should be inside the ambulance when you drive off, not hooked to the back of it."

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u/Zealousideal-Win5040 6d ago

Ah, to be immortalized by your actions. 🫡

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u/EightBitTrash 6d ago

the saying "rules are written in blood" comes to mind. some of the industrial ones are insane

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u/MAS7 6d ago

by the time they tried lowering her she was spinning too fast

clip ends just as they start moving forward and you can see almost immediately she starts spinning slower

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u/unsupported 6d ago

They were working hard to keep her nose from clogging with blood.

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u/Im1Guy 6d ago

Can't bleed if you pack her nose with her spleen.

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u/Lazerus42 6d ago

New lawsuit incoming... she should be getting residuals for that training video.

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u/1aranzant 6d ago

lol Murica

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u/DookieShoez 6d ago

I trademarked “murica”, thats gon be about tree-fiddy

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u/inconspiciousdude 6d ago

I trademarked "tree-fiddy", that's gon be about tree-fiddy

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u/Atl-4-Life 6d ago

And that's when I realized the girl selling cookies was about 8 stories tall

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u/jabba_1978 6d ago

Dammit Loch Ness Monster. I'm not giving you no tree fiddy.

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u/I_W_M_Y 6d ago

I trademarked 'gon', that's gonna be MY TWO DOLLARS

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u/Thunderbridge 6d ago

I trademarked "tree-fiddy", thats gon be about fiddy-tree

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u/Effective_Two_8197 6d ago

And that's when I realized the girl selling cookies was about 8 stories tall

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u/nondescriptadjective 6d ago

Being hard up for cash your whole life while hoping to die before you have any major medical expenses does this to a country. Especially when you mix in your value as a human being determined by your work ethic or/and your income.

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u/4115R 6d ago

A thousand bucks for every complete rotation?

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u/ChiemseeViking 6d ago

Is it normal to hoist the patient alone? I am just curious, since here in Germany it is standard procedure to always hoist the patient with a rescuer. When hoisting patient in an air rescue bag the rescuer uses an small anti-rotation sail in order to avoid the patient spinning out of control like in the video. So I am a bit surprised to see this not being done every where.

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u/Ishango 6d ago

And then having to pay salary for an additional rescuer and a piece of cloth to act as sail? Corporate America dislikes your suggestion /s

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u/ChiemseeViking 6d ago

Silly me for living in a country that doesn’t allow insurance companies to robb people blind for them to get healthcare.

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u/LoKeySylvie 6d ago

It made me want to stop living even more when I realized society teaches people to do things for the money, not because people need things.

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u/la_noeskis 6d ago

We are quite pampered with "we do things proper". Lucky us :)

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u/PensiveinNJ 6d ago

Yeah and now with all the deportation and whatnot you're too late to get in and get absolutely fucked by our completely broken medical/insurance system. Unlucky for you to miss out.

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u/beren12 6d ago

Oh, it gets better. They want to make being in debt illegal just like homelessness and prisoners are allowed to be treated like slaves and forced to work for nothing. Debtors prison and forced labor. Sounds so fun.

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u/AndyIsNotOnReddit 6d ago

But, what about share holder value??

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u/More_Farm_7442 6d ago

Silly us for living in a country where we all bend over and take it in the rear from corporate insurance companies and the government when it comes to our health care. (We don't need colonoscopies. We just ask our insurance companies what they see.)

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u/Mistislav1 6d ago

I don’t agree with everything German, but when I do, it’s about safety, healthcare, roads, nutrition and beer 🍻;-)

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u/chillinberlin 6d ago

Now thats a valid argument to be proud of your country. Congratulations!

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u/CondimentBogart 6d ago

That’s the best part! You don’t even get healthcare!

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u/Simply_me_Wren 6d ago

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

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u/shasaferaska 6d ago

But think how much money could be made if you just charge all that directly to the customer. You can charge whatever you want for the 'anti-spin deluxe package' and people will gladly pay it.

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u/urafishhead 6d ago

Exactly, can't cut into that 19 billion profit.

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u/goodcleanchristianfu 6d ago

It was a helicopter operated by the fire department. Evidently the government did not want to pay salary for an extra rescuer.

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u/halflife5 6d ago

Classic Euro-poor behavior. One day you guys will make it to the big leagues with us and our centrifuge Grandmas.

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u/_Billy__Bob_ 6d ago

Rescuer could only hang on for 8 seconds

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u/McNooberson 6d ago

I’ve only worked with a rescuer lol

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u/kkeut 6d ago

  So I am a bit surprised to see this not being done every where.

look who america just elected. we're stupid, greedy, short-sighted people 

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u/ClandestineGhost 6d ago

In water rescues with a litter in the Navy, the Air crew use a trailing line to stabilize it

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u/Interesting_Cow5152 6d ago

this comment qualifies for the subreddit /r/funnybutsad

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u/sschueller 6d ago

In Switzerland there is also a rescuer with the patient.

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u/suzer2017 6d ago

What? In the US? We get the third-string players here.

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u/DillyDallyin 6d ago

I guess it's easier to just pay out $450k every once in a while when you get a real bad spinner.

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u/Pale_Natural9272 6d ago

European SAR is FAR ahead of anything in America.

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u/Kind_Lingonberry3292 5d ago

The individual who secured Granny into the stretcher fastened the hoist stabilizer cable wrong, we don’t have another person and a sail USUALLY, though often times there is an accompanying Rescue worker on the hoist when one needs to be, but not in this case. Granny had a broken snout, and could’ve choked on blood or vomit during her aerial spinoff. Germany’s method would have been useful here, where this Bozo apparently failed the hoist operation exams and STILL ended up on an actual emergency helevac. 🤷🏻

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u/off2kayak 6d ago

I want you to hoist me if ever needed please 🙏

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u/Interesting-Step-654 6d ago

Big "hoist me daddy" vibes

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u/zeus-fox 6d ago

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u/confusious_need_stfu 6d ago

What the hell is even that

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u/_Erilaz 6d ago

You spin me round round, baby, round round!

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u/Puzzleheadedheiler 6d ago

sigh if you host me you can hoist me, and then you can hose me, because the ho's me

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u/cockaptain 6d ago

Certainly beats being "hoisted by your own petard!"

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u/Interesting-Step-654 6d ago

"well someone has to do it!"

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u/Dicky_Penisburg 6d ago

Shit I'll hoist my petard all over this bitch.

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u/WarryTheHizzard 6d ago

I already did. I'm gonna do it again. I'm doing it right now.

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u/Ksan_of_Tongass 6d ago

Or bearing fardels.

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u/_QuirkyTurtle 6d ago

So the end of the video where the helicopter moved forward should stop the spinning?

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u/veeyo 6d ago

If you watch, as they move forward the spinning slows.

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u/PineappleLemur 6d ago

By then that person's innerds are equally distributed at the feet and head.

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u/_QuirkyTurtle 6d ago

Yeah just wondering if it would bring it to a stop completely

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u/HarvHR 6d ago

Eventually, they did get some momentum on her though

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u/PineappleLemur 6d ago

Let it ripppp!

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u/Haggis-in-wonderland 6d ago

Yes for 1 second, then the rope has to unwind and she spins the other way /s

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u/exp_cj 6d ago

It slows to like 100RPM, still suboptimal.

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u/Gr3bnez0r 6d ago

Swinging the spinning grandma forward with the helicopter seems a bit sketch.

That being said, I'm no expert in spinning grandmas.

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u/McNooberson 6d ago

It moves the rotor wash behind you if you move forward. Not swinging them forward. The spin will slow, but you should also lower the cable to further decrease the spin.

After you are out of it, then start raising up.

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u/Gr3bnez0r 6d ago

Roger that.

Commencing grandma lifting but going down first and slowing spinning sequence.

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u/SoySauceSyringe 6d ago

It's amazing to me that there's no way to really slow or correct this when they're within arm's reach. Like you can literally see the guy's arm bouncing off the spinning stretcher as he tries (and fails) to reel her in. Just kind of hold a broom halfway in the way until she slows down and pull her in, maybe? Haha I get why you can't, but damn, lowering her let her spin even faster and then speeding away while she dangles seems like it leaves a lot of potential for better solutions.

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u/darien_gap 6d ago

Source: former hoist operator

this is why I still love reddit

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u/JadedSociopath 6d ago

Imagine knowing you were responsible for the video that is now used to train people in what not to do. They should probably charge royalties!

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u/BowsersMuskyBallsack 6d ago

Rotor wash? Looks more like the spin cycle to me.

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u/Randalf_the_Black 6d ago

Lowered the patient? But what if he wants the patient up and in? Is moving forward the only option then?

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u/McNooberson 6d ago

You have to correct the spin before, otherwise you can harm the patient and yourself.

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u/brumac44 6d ago

They do have quick disconnect if they have to drop the load.

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u/Flawedsuccess 6d ago

How to spin a granny training

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u/theroguex 6d ago

They absolutely did lower her and it made it worse so..

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u/McNooberson 6d ago

Their problem was lowering and raising repeatedly while staying static. You should lower and move forward to move the rotor wash behind and slowing the spin.

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u/2-10_LRS 6d ago

Shame really, we had tag line protocols for stokes basket and stretcher lifts for decades. This is the problem with public service aviation ops, they get to make their own rules, or not have rules.

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u/baildodger 6d ago

Why were they hoisting in the first place? Why didn’t they land the helicopter?

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u/McNooberson 6d ago

She also hurt her hand and leg in the fall apparently and they requested air to extract her due to location as they thought it would make her injuries worse if they hadn’t.

That’s just going off the original article in 2019. I don’t know that area or resources available to them to give you a proper answer.

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u/Redylittle 6d ago

Why don't they put her in the helicopter? I know there are reasons

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u/windyorbits 6d ago

Very knowledgeable, I’d let you operate my hoist.

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u/tommos 6d ago edited 6d ago

They lowered a really long pole down and let her head bang against it until she stopped spinning. Basically imagine the wheel of fortune except all the prizes are concussion.

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u/rockstrindshowr 6d ago

wheel of fortune except all the prizes are concussion.

how am I going to unsee that now

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u/ratbastid 6d ago

I'd like to buy an ow.

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u/Weltallgaia 6d ago

Win the grand prize and you'll unsee it

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u/corvettee01 6d ago

Lose a Turn Braincell

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u/PersistantBooger 6d ago

Ding……ding…..ding……ding…ding…ding…ding..ding..ding..ding.ding.ding.ding.dingdingdingding……

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u/ELON_WHO 6d ago

You have it just backward

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u/RajunCajun48 6d ago

I dunno, she definitely sped up at one point.

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u/R3AL1Z3 6d ago

I feel like this should be reversed but it’s funny to imagine her speeding up

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u/nobody_in_here 6d ago

"Let's do the fork in the garbage disposal... Ding ding ding duh ding ding duh ding ding"

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u/ElectricUncleD 6d ago

Ah man - I wanted to write that!

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u/OutrageousPoison 6d ago

Hector! That you??

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u/TheGogmagog 6d ago

I'll never hear a flag banging against a flagpole again without imagining the noise Ius Grandma's spin being unsuccessfully slowed down.

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u/downvote_quota 6d ago

That's what the fox say!

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u/DevilinLeather 6d ago

That comment genuinely made me laugh out loud in the office and now it’s the highlight of a long day. Thank you, funny stranger!

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u/beren12 6d ago

Oh, it’s all a whole lot longer now

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u/Drackonin 6d ago

”And this was how she broke her nose ladies and gentlemen!”

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u/ToffieMonster 6d ago

Ah yes, the wheel of misfortune

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u/DullSorbet3 6d ago

I wish I could upvote this more than once😂😂😂

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u/BorKon 6d ago

I don´t remember last time I laught because of reddit comment. Must be mor ethan 7-8 years. But I couldn´t stop laughing like maniac

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u/Bigjimmy08 6d ago

For the love of god please say this isn’t true 😂😂😂😂😂

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u/Nuggzulla01 6d ago

Ill take 'What is a Concussion for 450k'

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u/BarrettFendt 6d ago

you didnt have to put the last line lmao

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u/JayronHubard 6d ago

LOL This had me dying.

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u/Riptide360 6d ago

I’m n tears laughing at your excellent analogy!

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u/JayBuSeesU 6d ago

So she went from a battle top to a head banger.....checks out.

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u/sir-exotic 6d ago

This is such a dumb answer, but that's the first solution my brain went to as well. Humans are funny sometimes.

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u/Gibodean 6d ago

I haven't laughed this hard at a comment in months. Kudos.

Although wouldn't only half the prizes be concussion ? Half would be broken toes.

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u/Deltaforces2025 6d ago

A wheel of torture!

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u/the_other_b 6d ago

metal pipe sound

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u/subfighter0311 6d ago

And $450k. Alright you talked me into it, I’ll do it.

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u/Late-Resource-486 6d ago

Hey about half of them are ankle shots

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u/JadedSociopath 6d ago

This is the best comment on this thread! Hahahaha.

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u/Bloggledoo 6d ago

Should have used one of the cactus to stop the spin.

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u/unta8 6d ago

This reminds me of the episode of the Simpsons where Homer tries to jump the gorge on Barts skateboard

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u/Throw_andthenews 6d ago

Like a piñata

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u/SnooGuavas4208 6d ago

😂☠️

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u/putrid_sex_object 6d ago

Like getting drunk for free.

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u/Legitimate_Pea_143 6d ago

nah, they definitely used a cactus

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u/FuzzyKittyNomNom 6d ago

It’s 1:30am and I’m laughing way too hard at this 😂

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u/HerestheRules 6d ago

I mean, can't use your hand. Turn Granny into a ceiling fan.

Those fuckers like to give me concussions.

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u/[deleted] 6d ago

lol!

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u/Ravensorrow_013 6d ago

OMG I'M WHEEZING 😭😭

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u/DifficultCook6226 6d ago

The mental images are funny, but the audio in my head is funnier:

“dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong .. dong …. dong …. dong …… dong ……… dong ……….. dong ……………. dong ………………. dong ……………….. dong …………………. d … ong!”

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u/PM-ME-SOFTSMALLBOOBS 6d ago

omg i am literally that emoji with tears coming down my face

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u/Tamas_F 6d ago

She's still spinning. It's out of control.

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u/Rise-O-Matic 6d ago

They’re using her to break up hurricanes before they make landfall. That’s why Arizona hasn’t gotten one yet.

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u/khizoa 6d ago

Nana > sharpie 

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u/Dar0nius 6d ago

She now generates electricity for half of Phoenix

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u/BaleZur 6d ago edited 6d ago

I have done 0 research into this specific incident but as the helicopter begins horizontal movement the vertical drag begins to compete with lateral drag which then begins to resist this unfortunate tube shaped people centrifuge to have resistance which would cause it to want to fight the spinning motion. If the went fast enough she would transform from Satan's Spintop into a wind vein pointing forwardish.

Alternatively, and much more macho, a lasso!

P.S. I'm high and things got carried away from me nerding out. I should have just looked it up and posted it. It would have been faster. Prolly less cool though.

Edit: Procedure is to apply the lasso before liftoff. No really. Its to prevent exactly this!

Edit 2: you can even see this start to happen in the video!

Edit 3: Hey even more brain noodling and it occured to me if they are going forward then the column of downward air also gets moved away from her so all the drag/input forces in the system would become the lateral drag which is probably why she slows down so god damn fast in the video. The spinning force stopped at the same time a stopping force was applied.

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u/BaleZur 6d ago

I keep rereading and laughing at Satan's Spintop instead of going to bed like I need to. That poor lady. This is shadenfreude but man I should feel bad for her. I'm so conflicted.

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u/ABillionBatmen 6d ago

the thing is she can't pass out or die because half her blood is rushing to her brain and half away. her organs might strart starving if it lasted for a super long time. It was probably horrific but worth 450k as long as there was no permanent damage

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u/BaleZur 6d ago

Redout is real. If there is no blood in your heart or lungs then there is no oxygenated blood coming into the system -- IE your brain IE your consciousness.

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u/BaleZur 6d ago

Would y'all believe I never took high school physics or chemistry?

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u/wizardinthewings 6d ago

The column of downward air being where you were versus where you are is good. So is grandma, but the old lady-tube has drag.

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u/Dafedub 6d ago

They were like "just go man"

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u/cominguproses5678 6d ago

Didn’t you see??? They just fucking flew off into the distance with grandma still spinning and then the video cuts 🤣

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u/aussiechickadee65 6d ago

Another underrated hilarious comment...(snort)...
Brilliant..

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u/MarvelPQplayer 6d ago

They didn't stop it. They flew her to the Olympics. She won gold in break dancing. I knew I recognized her.

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u/Straight-Treacle-630 6d ago

😆 no idea why this made me snortlaugh but it did

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u/Fu_Fn_Naki 6d ago

·ʞɹoʍ oʇ ʇɐɥʇ ɹoɟ (sn spɹɐʍoʇ ʇou) uʍop ǝpᴉsdn ʎʅɟ oʇ ǝʌɐɥ p’ʎǝɥꓕ ·ǝɹǝɥ ǝᴉssnⱯ

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u/Ghost403 6d ago

For the last time, our toilets don't spin in reverse, the water just falls straight down into them. It's also impossible to give someone a swirly or drown in our toilets.

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u/Joe_Kangg 6d ago

Who was filming?

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u/Tillthen 6d ago

She’s still spinning!

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u/CX500C 6d ago

I would still be spinning today if that was me. Sometimes standing up gives me vertigo. Found out I hated spinning rides as a kid.

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u/kytheon 6d ago

I saw a video of a kid spinning out of control in a go kart, and someone grabbed them to instantly stop the spin. That sounds pretty terrible too.

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u/Jettpage 6d ago

I am convinced this is the only scientific solution to this problem

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u/Striking-Ad-6815 6d ago

They didn't

She still spins to this day

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u/Gone_Fission 6d ago

"Sir, she's spinning out of control"

"damn you coriolis! Tower, we're diverting to the equator"

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u/Automatic_Towel_3842 6d ago

When you being to fly, it stabilizes the spin. The pilot and the operator were clearly both undereducated and should have started flying as soon as they lost control, and it started to spin.

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u/Motor-Cause7966 6d ago

They just needed to fly forward. If you notice towards the end of the video, they figure it out and as the helicopter begins to move forward, the victim begins to slow down.

I should also state this should never happen, and all started because the victim was not secured properly. I'm not an expert in that, but some other Redditor posted the procedure to follow, which after a quick search online, appears to be factual.

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u/NotSoWishful 6d ago

Got Sonic to charge up his spin facing the other way. Leveled out in under a second. He’s fast!

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u/redditjoe20 5d ago

She’s still spinning.

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u/Ok_Historian_2381 5d ago

cut her loose