An ex colleague and good friend once told me a tale of an apprentice gripped in fear on top of a dockyard crane in Newcastle.
From memory, Eric had took the boy up with him to inspect the boom tip. He told the boy to keep looking at the dock gates as they progressed forwards but due to the gain in elevation they could see further down as they reached the bit they needed to inspect.
Eric turns to the boy who is now white as a sheet and asks him id he’s ok. No response.
The boy is clinging to the railing with a kung-fu deathgrip. 3 fitters tried to release his hands to no avail. Next thing the doctors on his way up and the boys jabbed and brought down unconscious in a cage from a neighbouring crane.
Afterwards the boy said it was further drop that was visible beyond the dock gates that done it.
He didnt work on cranes anymore after that.