Power is out in the area around Hart Lane on Bainbridge Island after a man struck an underground power line with a pick ax.

Approximately 75 homes are without power. Puget Sound Energy officials report that the homes will be switched to another circuit shortly to restore power, while crews work to repair the damage.

Fire crews and medics responded too a 911 call from Hart Lane shortly after 11 a.m. after a 19-year-old man struck an underground power line.

The man was working privately for an island resident and digging near the road.

“He was digging in a ditch, looking for an electrical line, and he found it,” said Fire Marshal Luke Carpenter. “He was using a pick ax to scrape away some dirt when he contacted the line.”

The man was not severely injured, however, he is being transported to Harrison Medical Center in Seattle for observation due to the nature of the accident.

The young man struck a line with 7,000 volts of electricity running through it, Carpenter said. The incident blew a 100-amp fuse nearby, causing power to go out in the area.

Puget Sound Energy officials did say that it is best to call 811 before digging anywhere.