Worker's shock led to mass blackout | Northland News | Local News in Northland

A man repairing a major power line supplying electricity to the Far North remains in a serious condition after  receiving a serious electric shock  and causing an outage to 15,000 homes and businesses.

The 24-year-old linesman was working on a 110 kilovolt power line at Rangiahua on State Highway 1, about 14km west of Okaihau, yesterday when he was shocked.

Shortly after the incident, about 12.55pm, electricity to about 15,000 homes and businesses was cut.

Volunteer firefighters from Okaihau were called to the scene  and prepared a landing site for the Northland Electricity rescue helicopter.

The man,  thought to be from Auckland, was airlifted to Whangarei Hospital, tended by St John advanced paramedics during the flight.

He received serious burns to his face and chest. Last night it was thought he could be transferred to Middlemore Hospital where there is a specialist burns unit.

Transpower spokeswoman Rebecca Wilson confirmed the line the man was working on was the major power cable  carrying electricity to the Far North.

She said he was part of a crew doing maintenance work on it. 

Top Energy chief executive Russell Shaw said the outage affected 10,000 customers north of Taupo Bay and west to the Hokianga but excluding Kohukohu. 

The injured man's crew
 had been replacing wooden poles with concrete posts. With no other power route to Kaitaia, all the work is done while the wires are live.

It is thought the crew was replacing the last pole of the day when the accident happened.

Workers said the man had been properly harnessed  and was wearing a protective "live suit" at the time.

His ladder and  bag were still clipped to the lines after the accident yesterday.

 Kohokohu police Constable Jonathan Maoate said it appeared to be a freak accident.