Electric Co-op Today

A kiteboarder’s kite that became entangled in a transmission line serving North Carolina’s Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands knocked out power for residents, tourists and businesses for an hour before the co-op restored it.

It looks cool, but kiteboarding can cause power outages (or worse) if kites get snared in electric lines. (Photo By: Chris Cifers)

All 7,350 accounts served by Cape Hatteras Electric Co-op, Buxton, lost power when a kite was wrapped around a 115-kilovolt transmission line, the islands’ sole method of power delivery. The line runs the length of Hatteras Island to the co-op’s headquarters, about a 45-minute drive.

Considering the number of tourists on the islands, the actual number of those affected was much higher, a co-op official said. That’s because vacationers swell the islands’ population to 40,000 to 50,000 people, said Lonnie Moore, the manager of engineering and operations at Cape Hatteras Electric Co-op.

The offender likely came ashore at Avon, one of the island’s villages, said Moore. And instead of looping back to town “against the prevailing winds, the kiteboarders were picked up by car and carried back to the starting point to make the journey again.”

Moore said an official at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service told him the offender had left the scene, avoiding a citation and possible fine. In kiteboarding, also known as kitesurfing, the participant rides a form of surfboard harnessed to a large kite, which is controlled by handheld strings.

As the popularity of this extreme sport grows, Moore said these incidents aren’t uncommon. In recent years the co-op and federal officials have taken extra measures to educate out-of-towners about electrical safety. For example, four-foot warning signs remind enthusiasts to stay at least 150 feet from power lines.

“We love kiteboarders, and we want them to keep coming back, but we also want to keep them safe,” said Moore. “But once in awhile someone doesn’t pay attention and gets in trouble.”

Tags: Co-op News, Lineworkers, Safety