Posted on: Saturday, June 4, 2005

High voltage injures intruder in Kalihi

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

Police last night were trying to determine how a man got into a Hawaiian Electric Co. substation in Kalihi yesterday and was critically injured after coming into contact with a high-voltage transformer.

The man suffered second- and third-degree burns over 80 percent of his body and was in critical condition last night at The Queen's Medical Center, police said. The man's name was not available last night.

At about 4:10 p.m., an ambulance crew responded to a call about a possible electrocution at HECO's substation on School Street. Ambulance workers said the man somehow came in contact with a transformer and was thrown about 20 feet in the air.

The man was not a HECO employee or someone doing work for the utility. Police were unable to get a statement from the man.

The substation is surrounded by a 10-foot-high concrete wall and metal gates. HECO spokeswoman Janet Crawford said there are spikes and barbed wire at the top of the walls and fences, so it would be difficult for anyone to climb in.

HECO security checked the gates and all were locked at the time of the incident, she said.

"There was no breach in any of our walls. There were no doors left open. All of our security was in place," Crawford said. "The guy wanted to get in there and he got in there, but not because somebody left a door open."

Crawford said an investigation is under way and HECO was not sure how the man was injured.

She said it is believed he came in contact with a transformer that "steps down" 138 kilovolts that come into the substation to 46 kilovolts.

"You can walk around in the substation and not get shocked," she said. "You would have to make an effort to get up to where the power lines are."

The incident knocked out power to 847 customers in the Kalihi and Liliha area for more than an hour yesterday.

Reach Curtis Lum at 525-8025 or culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.