June 6, 2009


A kiteboarder who lost control of his kite on Wednesday, June 3, about mid-day caused a power outage on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands and was cited by the National Park Service for operating a kite within 150 feet of an electric line.

John McCutcheon, head district ranger for Hatteras Island, said that James Oliver of Greenville, S.C., told rangers on the scene that he was walking his kite upwind, away from people, near the Haulover area between Buxton and Avon.  He told the Park Service that a wind gust blew the kite into the nearby power lines.

Oliver was not injured, presumably because he let go of the kite, but power was knocked out in Avon and the northern Hatteras villages and blinked briefly in Buxton, Frisco, Hatteras, and Ocracoke.  It came back on in the southern villages, but remained off to the north.  Later, at about 12:15 p.m., Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative personnel had to shut off power to all of Hatteras and Ocracoke for about 15 minutes to untangle the kite from the power lines.

McCutcheon said Oliver told park rangers on the scene that he took “full responsibility” for the incident.

McCutcheon said Oliver’s citation calls for a $150 fine.

And, Jim Kinghorn, general manager of the Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative, said the company will attempt to recover its costs – which he estimated to be less than $1,000 – from Oliver.

Safety has become an increasing concern as the popularity of kiteboarding has grown on Hatteras Island.  The CHEC power lines are perilously close to the area used by kiteboarders between Buxton and Avon in the areas known as Kite Point and the Haulover, aka the Canadian Hole.

There is the danger to the kiteboarder, who could easily be electrocuted if he doesn’t let go of his lines.  There is the danger to island residents who rely on power for oxygen or other means of life support. 

And then there is the inconvenience to residents and businesses when they lose their power anytime.  The power outage on Wednesday came at the lunch hour, which caused consternation among business owners and patrons at restaurants and other establishments..

Several years ago, the Park Service and CHEC put signs on all the power poles in the area, warning of the danger.

However, McCutcheon said, the signs are too small to be read by kiteboarders in the water and are suitable only for pedestrians on the beach.  And the concerns have continued.

The Park Service and CHEC officials are talking again about how to improve the warning to those who take to the water – not only between Buxton and Avon but in other areas, such as Sandy Bay, just east of Hatteras village. They said they are also consulting with island kiteboarding businesses.

McCutcheon said discussions are centering on putting much larger vertical signs on all the power poles – or every other pole -- that will be more visible from the water. The signs will say that kiteboarders must stay 150 feet from the power lines.

Also, he said some sort of buoys or poles that stick out of the water will mark the area of the 150-foot buffer.

Kiteboarders, he said, who now launch from the beach will have to launch and retrieve their kites beyond the 150-mark.

“Kiteboarding and a lot of water-based recreational pursuits are exploding in usage on the seashore,’ he said, “and the park has got to take steps to protect the safety of visitors and others.”

Although there were rumors that a second brief power interruption about mid-day Thursday was caused by another kiteboarding incident, CHEC said that it was the result of a problem with Dominion North Carolina Power, which provides electricity on the other side of the Bonner Bridge.



FOR MORE INFORMATION

CHEC’s Jim Kinghorn on kite safety

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