More than 800 homes in Utah were left without power on Wednesday following a bizarre and unsettling incident in Salt Lake City, when a woman climbed a high-voltage transformer. The dramatic scene, which took place near Gladiola Street and Decade Drive, caused significant disruptions to the area, according to local news outlet ABC4.
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Woman climbs transformer, police struggle to intervene
The woman was spotted standing atop large industrial equipment. Video footage, now circulating widely on social media, shows her clinging to one of the tall cylindrical insulators and surrounded by high-voltage components. In an incredibly precarious position, the woman gripped the structure with her legs and one arm while her body dangled horizontally.
Nearby, two individuals—presumably emergency responders or utility workers—were seen in a utility bucket lift, watching closely as the woman appeared to be in danger. Police officers began surrounding her with cherry pickers, hoping to bring her down safely, but the situation quickly escalated when the woman began kicking at the cherry pickers and climbed a wire like a vine.
Watch the clip here:
Tensions rise as police take action
As the situation grew more intense, a police officer warned the woman to get into the cherry picker, threatening to use force if she didn’t comply. The officer then reportedly shot the woman with a less-lethal weapon to subdue her. According to eyewitness Kent, the woman collapsed in pain, only to be slowly lowered into the cherry picker. She was conscious, crying in pain, but still able to communicate.
{{/usCountry}}As the situation grew more intense, a police officer warned the woman to get into the cherry picker, threatening to use force if she didn’t comply. The officer then reportedly shot the woman with a less-lethal weapon to subdue her. According to eyewitness Kent, the woman collapsed in pain, only to be slowly lowered into the cherry picker. She was conscious, crying in pain, but still able to communicate.
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An ambulance was called to the scene, and the woman was taken to hospital on a stretcher. Kent, who witnessed the incident, shared his concerns for the woman, saying he heard her yelling about how the world was no longer safe for her or future children. “We were kind of concerned for her,” he told ABC4, expressing relief once she was safely brought down.