Bird Accidentally Drops Fish Causing an Explosion Below Causing Thousands to Lose Power

We’ve all experienced a power outage. While often due to weather, occasionally a culprit may be to blame for a sudden blackout. A recent power outage in Sayreville, New Jersey was the result of a bird dropping a fish. The suspect, an unknown bird of prey, dropped a fish on a transformer, causing destruction that led to the loss of power. The bird, which some speculate was an osprey, is still at large.

Amid efforts to restore power, the Sayreville Police Department posted on social media. They used a sense of humor to keep residents laughing as the New Jersey Power and Light worked to get the power back up. Within a couple of hours, power was restored. Around 2,000 residents lost power during the outage.

Police directed all those with information about the suspect to contact one of their detectives, who they said handles all fish-related cases. They identified him as Detective John Silver, someone who we bet has quite extensive knowledge of fish. The department also took a moment to remember the victim in this senseless act, the fish itself, who they identified as Gilligan. They offered condolences to Gilligan’s family.

We definitely appreciate the police department’s take on this event, which included a fish taped off with crime scene tape and a mock sketch of the “suspect.” Efforts to make light of this incident helped boost community morale. The Department bet on residents and others wanting to read about this unlikely event and they were right! Responses to the social media post included thanks for providing a laugh.

Is This Normal Osprey Behavior?

Like other birds of prey, osprey eat fish and often carry them in their talons to a place where they can safely consume their meal. It’s not out of the question that they would drop a fish or two over the years. So it’s normal for an osprey to catch a fish and for them to occasionally drop one.

The fish hit the transformer at just the right spot, velocity, and angle to cause the power outage. That was almost certainly not intentional, although we’ll leave it up to the investigators to make their own determinations. After all, they are the experts in fish-related incidents. While we hope that justice prevails, it’s likely that the suspect has already taken flight and looking for his next fish meal elsewhere.