ND student dies at football practice

[Dossenator]

Well, here is the story. I read a report that said the kid sent a text to his parents about an hour before talking about how scared he was to be on the lift with the high winds (not sure if this part is true or not but if it is it adds fuel to the fire). I have been on this scissor lifts indoor and they are scary. I think I smell a huge lawsuit against ND for having this kid film practice in high wind conditions.

By TOM COYNE, Associated Press

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP)—Notre Dame’s football team will play their game against Tulsa on Saturday. But the team will wear decals on their helmets to honor a student who died while videotaping football practice.

The university’s Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick spoke to reporters on Thursday, a day after Declan (DEK-lahn) Sullivan died when the scissor lift he was on toppled because of high winds. Sullivan was on the lift to videotape practice.

Swarbrick says he was on the field at the time of the accident. He says he didn’t see the tower fall but heard a crash. He says the team and others responded to Sullivan, who was then taken by ambulance to a South Bend hospital.

Swarbrick says the team went back to the field after the accident to let emergency workers help Sullivan

[Dossenator]

Wind gusts 60 miles an hour, scissor lifts say they can't with stand more than 25 mile an hour winds. The barametric pressure was highest ever recorded in a non hurricane environment (same as a category 3 hurricane). The kid did tweet before he went up that his job would be fun and he guessed he had lived long enough. 30 minutes later he said he was terrified on the lift. 30 minutes later it was blown over and the young man died.

Why did the coaches have this kid up there in these conditions? These parents may own ND by the time this is done.

[WoVeU]

This kind of thing really pulls my chain. I have worked on scissor lifts and cherry pickers and I do not like them at all. Generally a lift is very uncomfortable in a 10mph cross-wind. People have to be stupid beyond stupid. It is just football practice...and we are only talking about filming it. If that were my kid, well I hope they know better than to ever go against common sense fears, but I'd box Kelly and staff's lunch for them! I wonder if they even attempted to position it length wise into the wind? What a bunch of snapper heads!
I'd be even more upset if practice was resumed! I guess that shouldn't matter in a what's done is done viewpoint, but I'd be even more fired up if that was my kid!

[Spence]

I can't imagine someone "made" him get on that lift.

[RazorHawk]

I can't imagine someone "made" him get on that lift.

I can't imagine someone didn't "make" him get off that lift. Terrible tragedy.

[WoVeU]

I can't imagine someone "made" him get on that lift.

I'd hope not, I pray not! But I work with adults, and I am one of the guys tasked with keeping them safe. And as a matter of fact I have stopped and discussed things with Contracted Electricians, that I didn't contract, who were using lifts, to discuss safety things in the area I wanted them to be aware of that I noted just walking across the production lines. If we had all the bay doors open and it was 30mph winds coming through the joint I'd shut all lift operations down.

What I don't get, if you film practice regularly, build a crow's nest or something.

[WoVeU]

I can't imagine someone "made" him get on that lift.

I can't imagine someone didn't "make" him get off that lift. Terrible tragedy.

Exactly what I was saying in long-winded form!

[billybud]

Big money in the settlement.

When Darling suddenly died while exercising in pre season at FSU (sickle cell syndrome detected at autopsy), FSU was sued and settled for $ 2 million.

[Dossenator]

I can't imagine someone "made" him get on that lift.

I can't imagine someone didn't "make" him get off that lift. Terrible tragedy.

I doubt anyone made him get on it...it was probably understood that was his job. He may have been afraid to go and tell the coach...hey, I don't feel comfortable getting onto the lift with these high winds. When I was younger I would have been afraid to approach an authority figure and tell them I could no do my job. The kid was definitely afraid....he texted twice saying just that.

I am with Razorhawk...I am more shocked that Kelly or some other ND staff did not tell him to get off of the thing. From what I have read about the weather reports this was not just your typical wind....it was record breaking type conditions.

[Dossenator]

I just listened to Bobby Petrino's post practice interview and they asked him what his policy is about scissor lifts etc. He said that every day the head of video talks to him about three things: Wind, Rain, and Lightning and if there are any chances then he takes practice inside. He said they have this conversation everyday and he makes the decision on what they are going to do.

I wonder if Kelly and ND have a similar policy. If so, what kind of liability can be placed on Kelly's shoulders? If he said we are staying outside and practice etc will be as normal.

[Spence]

I can't imagine someone "made" him get on that lift.

I can't imagine someone didn't "make" him get off that lift. Terrible tragedy.

I agree. It very well could be that he was supposed to film practices and they left it up to him. In other words - no one was paying attention to what he was doing. It sort of sounds like an intern project. I don't believe that someone expected him to get on a scissor lift in that kind of wind.

[Spence]

I received a personal message from ND's 3rd string QB after the accident. Tried to get back to him and still have not heard anything. Tragic!

Yes it is. A completely tragic and horrible accident.

[silverfox]

Condolences to the family.

[WoVeU]

Hold on!

I don't know why this light bulb just went off...but AD Swarbrick was there! So, unless the President of the University was there...we have the guilty party!
Now Kelly could be distracted, potentially, and not notice a kid with a camera anymore than the kids manning the water and towels...an AD is and should always be suit and tie, desk jockey first, leader, manager, risk assessor of the first order!

The only reason he hasn't been fired is because it would certainly point to an admission of responsibility.

I tell you what will be key, how long was he up there? You can see those things sway a football field away. If he was only up there 5 or 10 minutes, eh, but 20 or so...???
Were there people scurrying around battening down the hatches, securing things, putting things inside...????

[Cane from the Bend]

This whole thing just reeks of stupidity;

The student going up there.
The imbecile who allowed him to.
The dimwit who didn't tell him to come down.

This situation is bringing a lot of negative attention to the area.

There is already a memorial ceremony arranged for him, and the fuel hasn't even been established.

ND is trying to pr their way out of it, and all I keep thinking is... we were having 6o mile an hour wind gusts here... the stadium is an open bowl, meaning a virtual wind tunnel, with no blockade to safe harbor the effects; meaning the wind could only pick up momentum gushing down, with winds closer to 70 miles an hour... ( the flippin' football team shouldn't have even been on the field ).

I'm struggling to understand the idiocy of it all... but, if I have to point blame at someone, I point that heavy finger at Kelly's reckless _ss... because those kids should have been in doors.

All of them.

They should never have made it into the stadium in the first place, and they should have been told to leave the field as soon as they saw what the weather conditions were.

My heart goes out to the family... my aggression grows more so towards the program.

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