Word of caution for those who think they're scrappers!

Police have identified the body found Wednesday in rural Sullivan County.

Indiana State Police say *************, 38, of Prairieton was the man found dead at a small power supply station near Fairbanks.

An autopsy lists ******* cause of death as "accidental" and "consistent with electrocution."



Police said ***** may have been stealing copper wiring. Power substations throughout Sullivan County have recently been targeted by thieves who steal copper wire.

Toxicology results on ***** could take up to two weeks.


Just a tip for those tweekers who think that this may be a good idea. I know electricians who wouldn't go within 20ft of a substation without the power being killed. I wonder what gave the authorities the idea that he may have been stealing? Could it have been the bolt cutters on the other side of the fence from his body or the side cutters in his back pocket that have branded his dairy aire? Don't get me wrong, I like the color of copper as well, but c'mon man!!!!! If you only know one thing about electricity, know this. If it has enough running through it, you don't have to touch it to know it's alive.

I refer to these occasional incidents as positive geene pool improvement, through natural selection.

I know, but I feel for the person who, while doing their job, had to find that mess.

Those are the people to give us a bad name

Legitimate scrappers don't need warning. Well because they don't go cutting on high voltage lines.

Crooks get what they deserve.

Yay for gene pool cleansing.

And here I was trying to be considerate. LOL. I have to admit, when I read this I did have a moment of WTF. Really, the only reason I posted it is to show that sometimes they get a surprise from something other than a human with a flashlight. All I know is that it's one less looking for an item on the roadside that I might find.

Considerate is nice, I suppose.

I just have no sympathy for thieves. I have had copper stolen off a building, tools/equipment stolen and on top of all that thieves give the good scrappers a bad name and create more burdens for us in the form of more suffocating laws and regulations.

So if a moron wants to cook himself on a high voltage line, more 'power' to him.

I only feel sorry for the person who has to clean the mess.

Wanted. Organic circuit breaker. Live wires only need apply.

No sympathy for this guy? He must have had at least a glimmer of an idea about the danger and yet he risked it. What drove him to it? Desperation? He made a huge error in judgement and paid the ultimate price. I can't help but think to myself " There but for the grace of god, go I"

I have no sympathy for theives either. Well, at least not when they cause 10 fold damage or more above and beyond the scrap value they get. I do have some sympathy for the guy that may be stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family, but only a little. I am sure the loaf of bread guy could have asked and been given.

Originally Posted by KZBell

That job pays well and they signed up for it.

This form of justice saves our cities money in the judicial and incarceration budget as well.

The guy that found him was probably a lineman for the power company. They don't sign up for that. The guys on the coroner's wagon, well maybe...

Sounds like another Darwin Award winner.

"When natural selection deems that an individual's highest cause is
to serve as a warning to others, who are we to disagree?
The next generation is descended from one fewer idiot, ever and anon."

Originally Posted by maxa

Those are the people to give us a bad name

i really don't understand why so many here think scrappers have a bad name? if you feel your doing something wrong... then you probably are. either that or TV has warped peoples minds.
i don't watch TV, is copper thieves really news worthy? the only stories i hear about thieves are on this forum and i doubt many, if any thieves are spending their time here trying to learn the trade.

Originally Posted by corycouch

here i thought this was a new thread scrolling thru again and seeing easy there and looked at the date 2012 lol

you had me looking to see if I was the one that bumped it... not me.