Grand Rapids, MN – Lake Country Power is mourning the loss of a co-op employee today. At approximately 6:00 p.m., Friday evening, a co-op line crew was working to restore power when a lineworker collapsed.

The cause of death is not clear and an investigation is underway. An autopsy will be performed to help determine the cause.

The tragic event occurred as LCP line crews responded to more than 7,500 outages after severe thunderstorms that blew through the region early Friday morning. The storm took down trees, power lines and broke dozens of poles near Ely, Orr, Cook, Lake Vermilion, Babbitt, and other areas of the co-op’s service area.

Despite the loss of a fellow employee, friend, and co-op family member, crews will continue working today and tomorrow until power is restored for members.

Lake Country Power’s primary concern is for the family and co-op employees. In the meantime, the cooperative appreciates everyone’s patience and understanding, and privacy for family and employees as they grieve.  

Lake Country Power, www.lakecountrypower.coop, is a Touchstone Energy® cooperative serving parts of eight counties in northeastern Minnesota. The rural electric cooperative provides services to nearly 43,000 members and has offices located in Grand Rapids, Kettle River and Mountain Iron.