November 2, 2012

Officials release name of Ontario hydro worker killed in superstorm Sandy's aftermath

SARNIA, Ont.

Officials have released the name of the hydro worker killed on the job in Sarnia while working on a power line damaged by superstorm Sandy.

Bluewater Power CEO Janice McMichael-Dennis says the company continues to mourn the loss of 45-year-old Mike Leach.

She says Leach was a lineman for more than 20 years, including time worked in St. Thomas, Ont., and Nova Scotia, and had been with Bluewater Power for about four years.

Leach was using a bucket truck to repair fallen power lines when the incident occurred around 10 a.m. on Wednesday.

The Labour Ministry continues to investigate his death.

McMichael-Dennis had called the death an “unspeakable tragedy,” adding the utility has never had a worker die on the job before.

Leach's death was the second fatality attributable to Sandy in Ontario — a Toronto woman died Monday night when she was hit by a sign blown down in high winds as the storm hit.

News from © Canadian Press Enterprises Inc., 2012

Print | Comment