Daniel Lawson Chapman, 22, and Jack A. Chapman, 48, both of Seth, died Friday just after 11 p.m. at the substation at Hopkins Fork, said Boone County Sheriff Rodney Miller.

Daniel arrived about 11 p.m. with another man, whose name has not been released, and cut the chain link fence to gain admittance, Miller said.

The two men began removing copper grounding wire, and then Daniel was struck by an electrical surge that ran through the station, the sheriff said.

"He was electrocuted and caught fire," Miller said.

The other man then went to get help and notified Jack, who came to the substation and tried to free Daniel from the power source, he said.

When Jack was unable to save his son, "he became frustrated," Miller said.

"His frustration led him to come in contact with the live wires," he said. "It was possibly suicide."

Deputies are still investigating the incident and charges against the other man involved are pending.

When emergency crews were dispatched, they had to wait for the power to be shut off before entering the premises.

That's because there's extreme danger involved when ground wires have been cut, said Phil Moye, AEP spokesman.

The substations are dangerous even under ordinary circumstances, he said.

"It is a very dangerous place to be," Moye said. "Even our employees who work in the stations have extensive training and take a lot of measures to protect themselves before entering the station. Anything you touch has the potential to be energized if ground wires are cut. We have to make sure when we go in when the wires are cut that employees take the precautions necessary so they won't be shocked."

Since the price of copper began soaring, power company facilities - and coal mines - have been a popular target for thieves.

Six people have been killed in the power company's West Virginia service area since the price of copper started to increase about two years ago, Moye said.

The substations, clearly marked by warning and danger signs and surrounded by chain link fences, have large amounts of exposed copper wire, he said.

"It continues to be a problem for us," he said. "All the copper or metal that people are trying to steal is exposed inside the fence. Stations that are very remotely located tend to be the ones that are targeted."

Moye said the cut ground wires caused 460 customers to go without electricity for about 22 hours in the Hopkins Fork area.

"The reason it was so lengthy was that we had to replace a substantial amount of equipment," he said. "The activity in the station caused damage to the equipment."

by Zack Pettit Daily Mail staff

Submitted on 03/31/2008

Submitted by: Anonymous
Reference: Charleston Daily Mail, 31 March 2008

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Bruce said:
Neutral: For Darwin's Eyes
Another all-too-common case of dumb copper thieves getting electrocuted. Off for Darwin to see.

James said:
Definitely Keep: For Darwin's Eyes
As Bruce said!

Chip said:
Definitely Keep: For Darwin's Eyes