Utah Woman Climbs Transformer…Leaving Over 800 Without Power

Over 800 homes in Utah lost power Wednesday morning thanks to woman who decided to climb a transformer during a reported mental episode. 

Aubree B. Jennings and our news partners with ABC4 Utah have more details. 

Jennings wrote, “A woman is now receiving treatment after she damaged power equipment and climbed a substation transformer in Salt Lake City Wednesday morning during what police say was a mental health episode. The incident, which took place near Gladiola Street and Decade Drive, led to authorities cutting power to more than 800 homes to prevent the woman from being electrocuted. According to the Salt Lake City Police Department, the alleged trespasser was taken into custody and transported to the hospital.” 

Ryan Kent, a witness at the scene, said the woman was screaming obscenities at the police who were trying to get the woman to come down.  

Jennings wrote, “Kent said he heard the woman yelling about how the world was no longer safe for her or future children and negotiators attempting to convince her to come down from the power structure. As the situation unfurled over the next 20 to 30 minutes, Kent said a large crowd of people gathered near the substation.” 

Police tried to get the woman to come down by surrounding her with cherry pickers. The woman reportedly kicked the cherry pickers out of the way and began to climb a wire like it was a vine. 

Jennings wrote, “Kent said when she stepped onto the rim of a cherry picker an officer shot a stun gun toward her which was followed by a ‘yelp.’ The police officer then said to get inside the cherry picker or he would shoot again. The officer allegedly shot her again with the stun gun. ‘She literally collapsed … from pain into the cherry picker and they went down slowly,’ Kent said. ‘She seemed okay. She was verbal, and she was in pain, she was crying, and then [an] ambulance came put her on a stretcher, and took her away.’” 

Power was restored to the area just before 1 p.m. More information can be found in Jenning’s full article on ABC4 Utah.