Thousands of people lost electricity due to high winds and tractor mishap.
(Regional) -
A big power outage on the west side of Owen Sound and Georgian Bluffs may ave been caused by a 16
year old driving a lawn tractor on Alpha Street at the edge of Owen
Sound.
At about 9:45 AM on Monday, Owen Sound Police say the young man
was removing waste lumber from the front of three residential units
under construction.
He was driving a lawn tractor with a trailer attached, and it caught on a metal safety fence -- dragging the fence.
Police say the safety fence then caught on a switch mechanism attached to a hydro pole, partially turning the switch.
44 thousand volts of electricity arched from the power lines down the switch
mechanism, along the metal safety fence and grounding through the
trailer and lawn tractor.
The 16 year old panicked and stepped off the tractor, receiving a shock to his left leg.
He was conscious and appeared uninjured when police and EMS arrived.
As a precaution, he was taken to hospital, but later released with no injuries.
Alpha Street between 9th Avenue West and 11th Street West was closed down for about two hours .
Power was out in some parts of the city’s west side and in Georgian Bluffs for more than two hours.
The Ministry of Labour Investigators were contacted and will be continuing the investigation.
The high winds also caused widespread power outages across Bruce and Grey Counties.
The outages started around 10:30 PM on Sunday and continued until 7:30 PM on Monday.
Hydro One officials also want to remind you to stay clear of any hydro lines that might be knocked down.
The high winds also caused problems in Perth County.
Just after midnight on Monday, a man from West Perth was driving on Line 42 when he struck a tree that had blown over onto the road.
The driver was not injured, but his car sustained minor damage.
Later on at 3:48 AM, a Huron Park woman was able to stop her car before hitting a fallen tree on Line 2 south of Woodham.
The tree blocked both lanes of the road and had to be removed by the Perth South Road Department.
The OPP are reminding you to slow down and watch out for fallen trees, branches, and debris that makes it way onto the road in windy weather.
