Two men died Monday after being electrocuted following a break-in at a power substation in northeastern Georgia.
The incident occurred around 3 a.m. in an industrial area south of downtown Gainesville, about 55 miles from Atlanta, police said.
The men broke into the substation and were trying to steal something, possibly copper wiring, when they were electrocuted, according to authorities. Emergency workers were called after an explosion and fire were reported. They could not recover the bodies for several hours because of the electricity risk.
Hall County deputy coroner Kevin Wetzel identified the men as 45-year-old Joseph Long and 44-year-old Christopher Blair Wood.
“I’m not sure what they were trying to steal,” Pap Datta, owner of the adjoining Liquid Nation Brewing, told The Times of Gainesville. “One of the officers retrieved a backpack from that area, and I’m assuming it’s one of theirs. And, you know, how much could they have carried out, a couple $100 worth of stuff? And just the loss of life for that? It’s sad. It’s heartbreaking.”
Gainesville Police lieutenant Kevin Holbrook told 11Alive on Monday that no similar heists had been reported recently.
Holbrook told CBS News that reselling stolen copper wire offers much more risk than reward: “It’s just pennies on the dollars for this type of stuff. It’s not worth it to put your life on the line.”
The botched burglary does not appear to be connected to a string of alleged substation attacks across the U.S. being investigated by the FBI.
With News Wire Services
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Stealing copper wire or sabotaging the power station? Maybe this will convince a few scum balls to stay away from them.
Darwin award entrants right there.
” It’s sad. It’s heartbreaking. ”
It’s also stupid, karma, survival of the fittest, and the probable outcome, among other things. I have a very hard time feeling sorry for people who die as a result of criminal activity.
The four substations knocked out in WA state on Christmas Eve were done by a pair of morons who thought they would eliminate all burglar alarms in the area and have a big night.
That’s what i want to know. HOW IS IT SAD criminals offed themselves/??
The men broke into the substation and were trying to steal something, possibly copper wiring, when they were electrocuted, according to authorities”
STUFF, Happens when you are up to NO GOOD DEEDS!