Traditionally, winch cables are single strand steel (fencing) wire - I guess because that's cheap. But they break quite often. Cable falls can be a problem. A

Traditionally, winch cables are single strand steel (fencing) wire - I guess because that's cheap. But they break quite often. Cable falls can be a problem. A cable falling over power lines causes all sorts of fuss! Cable breaks can be terrible. The cable will spring back, whip around, and is incredibly destructive - hence the cage around the winch operator. I would not have been standing anywhere nearby and certainly not next-to or behind the drum.