Northland Electric Employee Dies in Accident at Michigan Tech

An employee of Northland Electric of White Pine died Saturday, Oct. 14, in an accident at Michigan Tech.

William Lehtinen, 57, of Calumet, was working on an early morning electrical project at the University. He was at the UPPCO Substation on the University campus working on a high-voltage switch when the accident happened.

Public Safety officers were called to the scene at 5:08 a.m. and attempted unsuccessfully to revive him with CPR and an automatic external defibrillator. They were assisted at the scene by Houghton City Police, Michigan State Police and Houghton Country Sheriff’s deputies, as well as Mercy Ambulance personnel.

“This is a small community and a tragedy like this saddens all of us,” said Michigan Tech President Glenn Mroz. “But our hearts especially go out to his family and friends at this time of terrible loss.”

Michigan Technological University is an R1 public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan's flagship technological university offers more than 185 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.