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Balloon takes out power on the hill on Monday

Hydro repair crews had the power restored to Promontory residents in Chilliwack within 45 minutes

An errant helium balloon left 4800 customers in Chilliwack without power on Monday afternoon after it came into contact with power lines near Promontory Road.

The power went out on the hill just after 3 p.m., but repair crews had the power restored within 45 minutes, said a BC Hydro official.

"When helium balloons are released, they can drift into power lines, transformers and substations, which can cause significant outages and damage to the electrical equipment," said BC Hydro spokesperson Mora Scott.

Officials say the public should never try to retrieve any object that has come into contact with a power line, and instead, they should call BC Hydro at 1-888-POWERON (1-800-769-3766).