A Manitoba Hydro employee who was performing duties at one of Hydro’s work sites in the Interlake died last week, but the Crown corporation is not releasing the location or the employee’s name to protect the family’s privacy.
The employee was performing work related to a power outage when the death occurred.
Hydro said in a news release that it was with “heavy hearts and great sadness” to report the fatality.
“Our deepest sympathies go out to the individual’s loved ones, friends and coworkers,” said Manitoba Hydro president and CEO Allan Danroth in the Aug. 8 release. “We are devastated to lose a member of our Manitoba Hydro family. The safety of our employees and customers is our top priority and we are committed to fully investigating the cause of this tragedy.”
Media Relations Officer Peter Chura told the Express that the utility is not releasing the deceased’s name out of respect for the family.
“We’re respecting the privacy of the employee’s family and giving the community time and space to grieve this tragedy,” said Chura.
The employee had been investigating a “no-power call” and attended on their own, which Chura said is a common as an initial response across the system. The cause of the fatality is yet unknown.
“As we stated yesterday [in the news release], it is too early to speculate on any specific cause, and we are committed to and have started to investigate this tragedy and are cooperating with the other appropriate authorities who are investigating, including Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health,” said Chura.
The news release said there is no risk to public safety.