Whilst ringing in the last touch at a wedding one of the ringers had his glasses slip and he raised his arm and hand to push them back. Unfortunately the rope caught around his arm, which was quite severely damaged. At the A&E Department of the local hospital, his arm was found to be broken.
Bellringing is not a dangerous hobby, but it is never wise to think that accidents never happen! Many Associations/Guilds/Societies insure their members. It is not thought this accident could lead to a claim.
This information was given to me by a Guild member, who does not wish to divulge publicly the name of the person to whom the accident occurred, or where it occurred. He also wishes to remain anonymous, as this will also help to identify the area in which it occurred. These details are of no consequence. What is significant, of course, is how such a simple action can cause such a severe injury. Bells are powerful things when swinging. I can say the incident happened fairly recently and in one of the four counties that surround us.
I note the incident was not expected to lead to a claim. Perhaps the injured person was retired and therefore did not have to rely upon working to gain an income. While this type of injury is undeniably a rare event, it is indicative of things that can happen and 'lay you up such that - possibly - you can't work and earn your daily bread'. Sympathetic employers are getting rarer in this current financial climate. Ed