The saddest news to emerge from the blackout was the death of economics student Lewis Wheelan of York’s Glendon College. Wheelan, who was injured two years ago in a horrific accident, died on Friday in his Toronto apartment during the power outage. He relied on constant air conditioning to keep his skin cool, since it was unable to regulate its temperature because of the extensive grafting he had undergone. When paramedics arrived to check on him, the power to his apartment was still off, reported the Toronto Star.
In 2001, Wheelan nearly died when 7,200 volts of electricity surged through him as he worked during the summer for a Great Lakes Power contractor near Sault Ste. Marie. Miraculously, he survived, although he was left without his legs and his right arm.
An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of his death.