GRAND HAVEN TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A sailboat mast hitting an overhead wire in a swampy area of Grand Haven Township caused more than 2,500 Consumers Energy customers to lose power Tuesday night.
The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department dispatch says they received reports of a wildfire caused by a blown transformer in the area of 152nd Avenue and Robbins Road. A later report signaled that a boat crashed into a power pole on the Lost Channel.
The boat caught fire but it’s sole passenger, Michael Saunders, was able to escape.
According to police, Saunders, 28, attempted to put out the fire himself before jumping off the sailboat and swimming to shore.
A passerby transported Saunders to the local hospital. He is reported to have suffered burns to his face, arms and hands.
The fire was first reported at about 8:15 p.m.
The Consumers Energy Outage Map showed roughly 2,575 customers in the area are without power. Consumers Energy reported around 9:30 p.m. that power had been restored.
