Former Levin Resident Electrocuted

Chronicle (Levin), 19 October 1949, Page 4

Former Levin Resident Electrocuted

♦ While disconnecting a 110,000 v|i •able witli a "div Btick" at the Stat-Hvdro-Electric Department 'a Sub-sta-tion at Bunnythorpe yesterday mormng in operator was shoekiugiy burned ibout the head, hand and" t'eet and wa - instaritlv killed. He was: MR REGINALD THE OD ORE REES iged 50 years, married, with three„ chiiIren, residing at Bunnythorpe. There was no witness to the accident which oecurred at about 11. .1.3 a.m. Ln lceordance with established routine a ■nessage was received direct from the Tuai power station requesting a cable to be eleared for pressure. This operation consiHts of disconneeting a cable by removing the eartli sticks and thus deenergising the line. Mr Rees was dcspatched to carry out the operation and >vhen, after the lapse of several min utes, no confirniation of the job having lieen carried out was received by ttn Tuai power station the Bunnythorpi sub-station was asked to investigate Mr Herbert WeasteJl, a telephone op operator at the sub-statiou, went to fiii'l Xi r Rees and discovered the tragedv ai 11.45 a.m. Mr Thomas A. Lynns the ofticer in charge of the sub-station wa* inimediately informed and he compIeteJ the disconiiectioii of the Hue, thus re lcasing Mr Rees who was found to be d"ad. 1 Although the nonnal voltage of tiu cable with which Mr Rees cauie into 'ontact is 110,000 the authorities last night were unable to estirnate the total voltage it may have been carrying at rlie time when Mr Rees niet his death. An inquest was operied before the Coroner, Mr C. L. Mowlem, yesterday al'ternoon and after evidence of identifi"ation had been given the inquiry waadiourned sine die. Prior to acccpting tlio position nt Bunnythorpe, Mr. Bees was 011 the stalT of tlie Horowhenua Electric Power Board and rcsided at Levin for a number of years.