By Bill Wolcott<br><a href="mailto:bill.wolcott@lockportjournal.com">E-mail Bill</a>
OLCOTT — Mike Hare, 54, a former Lockport High School football player and wrestler, stays in pretty good shape.
Tuesday morning, his agility was tested when a beam broke underneath him and fell about 12 feet. Hare did a flip off an aging, vacant building at 5800 West Main St., landed on his feet and was able to laugh about it.
“I was cutting a wedge in the beam so it wouldn’t pinch my saw,” he said. “It was the last beam to cut. When the beam dropped, I just went with. It was weird. I didn’t land crooked. I just landed on my feet.”
Hare let the chain saw go and put his arms out to block himself from the wall. The owner of MSH General Contractors went head-over-heels before hitting the ground and came down safely. However, later in the day his leg began to hurt and decided to go for X-rays.
Hare was part of a three-man team demolishing the building that was built in 1920. Cody Russo rushed over.
“He just laughed,” Hare said. “He couldn’t believe I was standing on my feet. They said, ‘You’re like a cat. You landed on your feet.’ ”
Union-Sun & Journal photographer Joe Eberle was assigned to take pictures of the demolition. He was using a Canon 1D Mark 2 camera that can take eight frames a second. Though surprised by the accident, Eberle kept shooting the 360-degree spin.
Hare was very upbeat after the fall and thought the pictures might be used for America Funniest Home Videos.
The saw, which has an automatic kick-off, landed a few feet from Hare.
A certified construction teacher, has learned not to try to save the chain saw. He is a licensed U.S. Coast Guard captain and conducts sailboat charters in season. “I work hard and I’m pretty agile,” he said.
Contact reporter Bill Wolcott at 439-9222, ext. 6246.
