Risk Management Magazine

The sound was unmistakable — like a snap followed by an immediate right yaw and the sickening realization something had gone horribly wrong. My heart raced, but it was at that moment that my years of training kicked in. I had one job: keep my cool and get my crew and passengers out of this alive.

A few years ago, when I was a member of a search-and-rescue team in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, another team asked for our help locating a missing hunter. We responded and I set out as part of a three-man all-terrain vehicle (ATV) team. I recall it was a beautiful, clear, cool, crisp morning as we drove south to the Sangre de Cristo Range.

Many of us are guilty of trying to hop a ladder a few feet to the side instead of climbing down and moving it the proper way. Or maybe you’ve done the suicide lean by extending your body as far to the side as possible to get to a spot that’s just out of reach. While you may have successfully completed these dangerous maneuvers in the past, chances are you’re heading for a fall.