1 trapped in elevator after power knocked out in Oak Bay

One person was trapped in an elevator on Saturday morning after a power outage struck Oak Bay.

More than 950 BC Hydro customers lost power around 10:20 a.m. after two major power lines failed, according to the Oak Bay Fire Department.

Oak Bay Assistant Fire Chief Jason Joysen says firefighters were contacted by a pedestrian who noticed the downed power lines.

He suspects that wind caused the wires to contact a tree, ultimately causing them to burn and break, though repairs and an investigation are still ongoing.

“Two main high-voltage lines are burnt through on a tree right beside the high school there,” he said.

Story continues below.

(CHEK News)

Safety precautions

The outage caused a headache for people who live in the area.

Traffic lights at major intersections, including at Foul Bay Road and Fort Street, were down, meaning the intersections were operating as four-way stops.

Meanwhile, one person was trapped in an elevator due to the power outage, according to Joysen.

He says fire crews made contact with the person, who remained calm.

“They’re in good spirits other than being in an elevator when they don’t want to be,” he said. “But there’s no injuries and no panic or anything like that.”

He said firefighters contacted an elevator maintenance company to help with next steps.

BC Hydro crews arrived at the scene around 10:30 a.m. By 2:45 a.m., power had been restored to the neighbourhood.

READ ALSO:

• Wind warning issued for Greater Victoria, snow advisories still in effect for other parts of Island
• BC Ferries cancels sailings between Victoria, Nanaimo and Vancouver due to wind

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