Had a close call with silt in a Chicago river job that changed my gear setup

We were doing a bridge inspection in the Chicago River last fall and the silt was so thick I could not see my hand in front of my face. My umbilical got snagged on a piece of rebar I never saw coming. I had to feel my way along it for what felt like ten minutes to get free. Now I always run a small, bright LED backup light on my helmet, not just my main light. It gives me a fixed point of reference when everything else is zero viz. What do you guys use to keep oriented in total blackout conditions?

3 comments

3 Comments

oliver2423mo ago

Try tying a small, cheap compass to your wrist as a last resort.

abby8363mo ago

Like @oliver242's compass, a fixed light is key for any total blackout.

matthew_baker1mo ago

Honestly I used to think a flashlight was enough but this makes way more sense.