A deadly mistake by a bald eagle left 10,700 Salmon Arm residents out of power on Monday night.
At 9:54 p.m. on June 18, the eagle flew into a live wire at the McDonald鈥檚 parking lot located on the Trans-Canada Highway and 30th Street NE.
BC Hydro rep Jen Walker Larsen says the incident triggered an automatic power outage, a safety feature designed to protect lives.
鈥淲e never know what it is until a crew gets there,鈥� says Walker Larsen, who notes the utility did receive reports of a bird striking the wire. 鈥淲e never know if it鈥檚 a car or a bird, and crews have to make sure it鈥檚 safe before they re-energize the lines.鈥�
In this case, crews found the dead bird and restored power at 10:45 p.m.
Walker Larsen says BC Hydro鈥檚 environmental staff take the situation seriously and enter all incidents in a data base in order to spot problem areas.
There has never been another incident at the McDonald鈥檚 site but BC Hydro staff will keep an eye on the location and, if further wildlife encounters occur, will see what they need to do, says Walker Larsen.
lachlan@saobserver.net
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