Charles Darwin's Darwin Awards 
HOME
Darwin Awards
At-Risk Survivors
Slush Pile
2008 April Rejects
The NutCracker
Man harbours building dive wish
Cork boy burned while sniffing petr
Kiwi's can't fly
from darkest africa...
Balcony jumper misses leap
I Believe I can fly
The priest meets the Lord
Things look smaller from a distance
Balcony jumper could not be talked
"Rolling Meth Lab" Explodes; I-10 S
Superman or Superchump?
Balcony jumper could not be talked
Balcony jumper wanted to test himse
3 story fall
Leap from Balcony into Harbour
Man who died below Jenner cliff was
Robber Blows Himself Off The Cliff
Penis Panic
Get A Good Shot
Bermuda, drink, drive, die
Priest missing after balloon-flying
Could have made it!
8th floor leap kills man
Man dies after leap from balcony
Drunk Jump
Dumb Jump
kiwi balcony jump
Eighth Floor Leap
eight floor leap ills man
High Dive Misses
Drunk Jump
Eight floor leap kills man
Another Darwinian
miss judged jump
miss judged jump
Man dies after leap from balcony
Man dies after leap from balcony
Not a great leap for mankind
Harbour jump from the 8th floor
Man dies after leap from balcony
harbour balcony jump goes wrong
Dot the i and you just might die
Two add infos about the priest
Trash Bang
95 proof alcohol and BBQ don't mix
Mower kills Monk
Beat the Priest
The Eco Terrorist of Orcas Island
Man fleeing police 'critical' after
Alleged penis-snatchers spark panic
Closer, Oh God, to Thee
Off-duty officer kills robber at De
Priest gone to Heaven, Literally
Death with party balloons
Death with party balloons
Thief Gets a Charge Out of His Work
Suspected thief set on fire by powe
The Flying Priest
Search suspended for balloon priest
Balloon Stunt Priest Disappears
The gas baloon priest
The Flying Priest
Hearing Impaired?
Priest disappears in the sea
Adelir de Carli - The flier priest
10km Drive on Wrong Side of FreeWay
Brazilian priest in party ballons
Talk about tying one on!
Brazilian balloon priest Fly
The Answer is Blowin' in the Wind
Lawn Chair Larry 2
Seeking Heaven
Flying Priest
The video
Flying Priest Crashes
'Flying' priest's
Brazilian priest lost at sea after
The Flyer Priest
"flying priest"
Flying priest
Priest flying high
Daredevil priest RIP
Priest flies off with party balloon
Lawn Chair Priest
Death by Party Baloons
"The Flying Priest"
The Flying Priest
Helium Propelled Priest
Gone with the wind
Priest Floats to Heaven
Clueless on a Cellphone in Seattle
ANOTHER MOTORCYCLIST DIED AT VICTIM
Success where Lawnchair Larry faile
Brazil priest flying party balloons
hey, it's dark in there!
A father ballonist
Brazilian Priest Gets Lost in Heave
Fly me to the moon
Teen on cell phone killed by train
Priest missing on balloon flight
brazilian Astronaut attempt
Girl killed walking over railroad t
Giving stupid a whole new meaning
Priest attached to party balloons
Flying Priest (MIA in ocean)
Defrauding The US Military
Balloon Priest Vanished
Some never learn
New Helium Balloon record attempt
He tried to reach God, and managed!
Can you hear me now?
Priest balloon ride
Prisoner eats jail food, dies.
enjoy
Cell Phone
Up Up and Away
Balloon Priest
Teen Sneaks Out, Gets Grounded
Road Rage-David Lopez
Catch that train!
Father Mistakes Son for Turkey
Don't Drink and Walk.
Tiger: 1 Photographer 0
Gripped By Gravity
Theft led to man's electrocution
almost dead at 11
Teen killed, driver flees
Toulouse or not Toulouse?
Starbucks Drive Thru Gone Wrong
What could go wrong?
Spider man
Toulouse Plane Crash
Toulouse Plane Crash
YouTube stunt goes very wrong
YouTube stunt goes very wrong
2 guys one horse
Arguing Couple Killed on Tracks
Killed in Masonic Temple
man kills wife in freak diy acciden
man kills wife in freak diy acciden
Victoria Falls
Teens
Very Dumb Kids
HONOURABLE MENTIONIDIOT WITH HAMMER
Couple Dies Arguing On Train Tracks
The last drop
Electrical fault
Report Films Own Death
Thief runs over himself
Thief runs over himself
Truck Thief killed by U-Haul he sto
Large Solid Object Wins Again...
Man killed while beating robber
Body in shaft identified
Body in shaft identified
explosive sex offender
Thief runs over himself
No more room
Couple killed by speeding train
Man Fall to Death After Mets Game
Stolen U-Haul Gone Bad
Truck Thief Dies When it Runs Over
Careful Planning
Unaccustomed Customs
Kid accidently kills himself with g
Man Steals, Gets Run Over By, Truck
Electrocuted stealing live wires
Man runs over own head
Out of the fryingpan into the swamp
St.Louis Man Accidently Shoots Wife
No charges for man who killed wife
Gene pool reduction by shotgun
Grenade thrown in fire kills two te
Teen accidentally shoots self in he
Man jumps of bridge
drunk dies in snow
Man killed by 11,000 volts
3 die evading rescuers in Vermont
Self-inflicted shotgun blast
Police: Man jumps to death, appears
Man driving stolen motorcycle hits
wood chipper confermation
Potty Jumper
'World peace' hitcher is murdered
Dying to go to the toilet
man killed trying steal live cables
Heed the Warning Signs
TURNABOUT IS FAIR PLAY
He Really Relieved Himself
He really relieved himself
Man seeking relief jumps to his dea
man falls to death to take a leak
I 4 jumper
MAN SHOOTS WIFE
Look before you leap!!
Saving the Cable Hook Up Fees
I gotta pee!!
Suicede Bombers say OOPS!!
ME peace activist found dead
Busting for a ...
My candidate for the 2008 award
Copper Theft
a tryer!!
Chipper City Worker in LA
satellite install
Tree Trimming Mishap
Teen Girls Killed in Wreck After At
'I'm fed up . . . kill me."
Girls die setting up cabbie - cops
Fired Up About Satellite TV
Don't distract the driver
The winner of Russian Roulette
Crooks Cut Cabbie and Crash
Teen Girls Killed In Wreck/Robbery
Two women stab cabbie; are then kil
The Criminal Fart
MOTORCYCLE CULLING
A very wrong turn to death
Don't Believe Everything You Read
Missouri Man Fatally Shoots Wife wh
Man Dies Trying to Extract Gold Fro
A man kills himself back home
Man was hit by its own car
Human Klondike Bat
Hat and common sense flew right off
crook dies in duct
Gold in that there computer
Beacon man killed in motorcycle cra
Man dies from mercury poisoning
swiss replica watch
Alligator Attacks Man on Crack
Beer Bottles Strangle Sucker
backpack strangles man
Squaddie injures backside
Man scaling fence strangles in stra
Man scaling fence strangles...
Roof Surfing
There's Mercury in them hills!
Thailand Ladyboys opt for Castratio
Man scaling fence strangles in stra
Man dies in freak accident involvin
Don't drink and climb
Man dies in freak accident involvin
Thief dies in air duct
Dangers of Drinking
Kinky sex game kills father
Man chokes on beer-loaded backpack
Reaching From Heaven
Body in ductwork could be burglar:
Man dies in freak accident involvin
Boy Burrys Head In Sand
Man scaling fence strangles in stra
Man dies in freak accident involvin
A Public Nuisance
Drinking & Climbing Don't Mix
A new way to install satellite
Man dies from mercury poisoning aft
Reaching From Heaven
Man dies in stationary van crash
Man Installing Satellite Kills Wife
Forgot to Swallow
MP argues with Train
Burglar nabbed playing dead
Cyclist hits Van
Schoolboy dies after snorting heroi
Fake seat belt
Man dies from mercury poisoning aft
No helmet motorcycle tow
I-70 pileup a 'war zone'
Siphoning gas while smoking
Man suffers serious burns in blast
Unable to cable = death
Older Rejects 
 
~ Random Story ~
Email Alert!
NEW! Gift Shop
Rules  Search
Contact Darwin
Submit a Story
Philosophy Forum
Home

  

Darwin Awards
2008 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
Should I include it in the archive?
Vote to tell me what *you* think!

The Eco Terrorist of Orcas Island

2008 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

"I did it to punish the rich white people of Orcas Island and make them pay for the death of the whales and the depletion of the rain forests" -Mondragon

Gabriel Thomas Mondragon, 29 years old, who recently arrived from New Mexico, explained to Sheriff's Deputies that in an attempt to make the people on Orcas "suffer just like the whales and trees", he attempted to use a tree limbing saw -on a metal pole- to cut through a 69,000 volt power line.

According to the sheriff's report, the man, identified as Gabriel Mondragon, also stated he wanted to protest "the death of Luna the whale and the destruction of the rain forest."

Being well informed on the power of high voltage power lines, Mondragon cleverly put on several pair of latex dish washing gloves to isolate him from electrocution, and proceeded to touch saw to power line. . (continued from front page)

Mondragon was found laying on his back some distance from the line, his pants had been on fire, where they had burned away from his hips down. His gloves had partially melted, and he had "first, second and third degree burns' on various parts of his body. He was, in short, lucky to be alive. He now has some medical and legal problems to deal with, including some interest in his actions by the FBI.

An OPALCO lineman who responded to the outage was on site at the substation within twenty minutes and called the sheriff's office for an aid car. The sheriff's office and fire department arrived with aid within ten minutes.

The substation is surrounded by a barbwire topped fence, so Mondragon first tried to reach the power line by standing on a ladder. When that failed to get him close enough to be electrocuted, he went over the fence, and was then was able to reach a power line.

Thousands of people on parts of Orcas and Shaw only experienced a temporary loss of electrical power as a result Mondragon's action, while Mondragon was flow off to Harborview Hospital in Seattle via AirLift Northwest, for treatment of what are being called serious injuries..

The incident has been reported to the FBI, and Sheriff Bill Cumming said County Prosecutor Randy Gaylord will determine what, if any, charges may be pending, but at the least he may be charged with trespass. Gaylord said he would review the on-scene reports prior to making a determination of what appropriate charges may be.

OPALCO General Manager Randy Cornelius said he was required to notify the FBI of the incident, but that he had no information on any of the specifics of the case.

Cumming said because the crime involved a utility, the FBI has jurisdiction to enter the case. Given Mondragon's statements, it seems likely he may also face additional charges related to "eco-terrorism". The FBI defines eco-terrorism as "acts of violence in protest of harm to animals or to the environment, " and it "is the United States' No.1 terrorism threat from inside its own borders."

The County Council met this morning for their normal Monday morning work session, and Councilman Bob Myhr, who also is a siting board member of OPALCO, briefed the Council on the incident. Chairman Howard Rosenfeld said he was sure the OPALCO facilities are "not hardened against this type of thing, and never will be; so we need to stop alienating our own people."

"This tragic incident underlines the importance of public education about the dangers of power lines and electrical safety, " stated OPALCO General Manager, Randy Cornelius. "I'm proud of how quickly and efficiently our linemen and emergency services responded; I'm grateful for the professionalism of the law enforcement and fire service personnel who responded and took control of the scene—and am thankful that no lives were lost. Our thoughts are with the family of the young man that was injured."

Power was restored to most of the island by 11:30 p.m. Some areas were without power until noon Sunday.

OPALCO is a member-owned cooperative electrical utility serving more than 10,000 islanders in San Juan County. OPALCO provides mostly renewable electricity that is 97% greenhouse-gas free and is predominately generated by hydro-electric plants.

Submitted on 04/25/2008

Submitted by: Courtleigh Guerci
Reference: Eco-Terrorism On Orcas · Island Guardian 03/17/2008

Copyright © 2008 DarwinAwards.com

>> Moderator Scores <<

Bruce said:
Definitely Toss: Repeat
Thanks, Courtleigh, but a quick search of this persons name shows we've already received this story a few times.


Tracy said:
Definitely Toss: Repeat
Thanks - but we already have this story


The Darwin Awards Gift Shop

The Darwin Awards Condom

Keep yourself out of the gene pool!
A condom in a matchbook, useful for emergency contraception, bachelor parties, frat parties, and important rites of passage. LOADED inside and out with funny quotes and stories. Everyone loves this item!
Friends don't let friends reproduce!
$13 for Pack of 4

 

 

Slush Pile
Slush Pile Rejects

HomeRulesFAQsAwardsSlushSite Map
DarwinAward | HonorableMention | PersonalAccount | UrbanLegend