Stranded Man Cuts Power Poles to Draw Attention

A man stranded in the bush in northern Saskatchewan was rescued last week after chopping down four power poles — knocking out electricity to surrounding communities.

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Would you do it if you were in dire straits in hopes of rescue?

Cutting a remote power line can have some pretty serious effects. It's not like a well-developed area where the grid can compensate.

You can cut off power to a hospital or nursing station, to freezers containing people's food for the next six months, to water and waste treatment plants. Not to mention power to industrial installations that can lead to spills or millions of dollars in damage.

So to answer the question, I wouldn't do it except in the most absolutely extreme situation. And I try my best to avoid being in situations like that.

Part of me says, Whatever it takes, hoping that the travel plan I left with someone is used if I don't arrive or call, or the cell phone, or SPOT I have on me work where I am at. Or I know where I am and can walk out.

The other side of me remembers that in 2002 a stranded driver started a signal fire in Northern Arizona and it became the largest forest fire in AZ history, (500k acres, ~500 houses destroyed, 30k people displaced).

Imagine if someone needing that power was diabetic and their insulin was ruined because of heat, or someone on a medical system had no back up. Or a business lost money b/c they couldn't run their business. Of course all that could happen by mere accident as well.

I'm coming up blank for the reasoning of putting multiple lives at risk for the sake of my own. I'd have to be very sure that the power line I was downing was not putting anyone else in danger and most likely there would be no way I could be sure of that.

If its the choice between life and death, as in I see no reasonable way I would live without cutting it down, then yes I would. Sorry, but my desire to live would override the possible harm done to others. People in isolated towns like that should have the capability to survive without power for a little while.

If I've got food enough, or a way to get food, I'd simply start following the power lines. They have to go somewhere.

So long as you're willing to accept the punishment doled out if someone should die due to the incredibly selfish act you've committed.

After all, people who venture out in the woods should have the capability to survive without being rescued for a little while...right?

Yup! Though I'd be a bit more worried about starting a forest fire, and would want to maybe find low power or telephone lines. But yeah, I always figured that was a good way to get attention.

Which explains why I personally could justify cutting down those poles... Of course, the situation would have to be pretty extreme for me to do that.


Quite frankly, I don't think I ever would have thought of cutting down power poles as a means of signaling. He earns quite a few bonus points for ingenuity. But then again, a PLB would seem extremely smart in such remote locations.


In a perfect world, anything totally dependent on the grid would have some kind of backup, if nothing else then in the shape of thermal mass and creative cooling methods. It takes a while before the fridge is dangerously warm, and by then you'll have the insulin in the freezer, possibly in a cooler with lots of water bottles (thermal mass which at first prevents freezing, then act as a buffer to delay warming). I do realize cutting the power will have lots of bad consequences, possible lethal, but if there is no other options but cut-or-die I would cut the power.

I hold the view that I can't be morally responsible for other people's failure to prepare for power outage.

Just read the article and then took a look at the area in GoogleEarth -- fairly remote, not much up there.

If your only form of communication is cutting power lines you really need to rethink your kit. This is one of the areas on Earth that a PLB would really shine; cutting power off to multiple communities is really bad form.

Carrying an axe is good; there are lots of ways to constructively use an axe in a north woods survival situation. Taking an axe to a power pole or four would be way down the list of things to do (Plan C or D).

Probably not.

I'm not that important, and I'm too polite. Heck, I've told an EMT "sorry about this, I hope I didn't interrupting your breakfast".