FREMONT – Investigators are trying to determine how a Kentucky man was electrocuted near Fremont Thursday morning.

Steuben County Sheriff's Deputies along with other area First Responders were called to the area of SR 120 near CR 25 East just after 9 o’clock.

They found a man partially in a hole in the ground at the base of a utility pole who appeared to be dead. First Responders were unable to approach the victim initially due to live electrical wires near him.

Once NIPSCO crews made the area safe, the victim was recovered from the hole and identified as 29 year old Cody Griffin of Reed, KY. Griffin was doing contract work on the utility pole.

The situation is believed to be linked to the widespread power outage that affected much of Steuben County Thursday morning, which left many without power until early afternoon.