Power Outage in Tekapo Area Due to Helicopter Accident
Around 1,750 homes in the Tekapo region lost power after a crop-dusting helicopter cut two power lines on Monday morning. The pilot was unharmed, and there were no injuries reported. Transpower expects to restore power by Tuesday afternoon.
Mark Ryall, a Transpower executive, said the pilot was very lucky to land safely after the incident. He noted that such accidents are rare, with only five or six similar cases in the last 20 years. Crews worked on repairing the lines until dark on Monday and will resume work at first light on Tuesday. Ryall mentioned that the teams were making good progress.
Steve Howes, chair of the Tekapo community board, said many Chinese and Japanese visitors were confused about the power outage. He expressed concern for local businesses, especially restaurants, which were facing significant challenges due to the lack of electricity.
Andrew Kerr, from Alpine Energy, confirmed that about 1,750 households still had no power. He noted they had restored some power in nearby Fairlie but urged residents to conserve energy to help the situation. Public services like the fire station and community center had generators, and the community center is open for people to charge their phones or get tea.
Kerr said the outage was unexpected but reminded the community of the importance of resilience. Compensation for the outage is available only under specific consumer laws or insurance.
