An MEA Overhead Line team came to the rescue of Northern Ireland Electricity during the Easter break, after gales, snow and heavy rain brought down power lines, causing loss of power to 30,000 homes.
A call for assistance was received from NEWSAC (North East West South Area Consortium) to aid Northern Ireland Electricity on Thursday 1st April and the team was despatched to Ballymena with vehicles, together with another 320 other utility staff from across the British Isles.
The team - consisting of engineer Ian Gilbertson and linesmen Wayne Sharpe, Juan Crawley, Tom Callister and Ross Lewandowskyj - worked long hours to reinstate the lines throughout the Easter break, not returning home to the Island until the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Prior to the call for assistance, some 138,000 customers were without supply and at the time of finishing their work for the utility this had reduced to several hundred customers.
Quintin Gill MHK said, "At a time when the Island is concerned for the status of these important reciprocal agreements, it is heartening to know that this long-standing agreement is still in force.
"On this occasion, the Isle of Man was able to assist others during times of hardship.
"I would like to pay tribute to those members of the MEA team who were responsible for providing this assistance and representing the Island in a most professional and positive manner".
