Charles Darwin's Darwin Awards 
HOME
Darwin Awards
At-Risk Survivors
Slush Pile
2010 October Slush
The Fixed Gear Phenomena
SOURCE.Mushroom Science
x.Slow Morning Train - Survivors
x.My date with Sonic
Man Killed by His Own Boat
x.Thief Killed
x.Drunk Woman Fall from Moving Motorh
Kansas Museum Bans Nooses After Acc
x.BOOM! (rev.)
really?
HMM.Medical DAOTW Two Contenders
The drano man
Man Suffocates in Rabbit Hole
x.Artillery Accident
Man electrocuted in Washington Park
x.Man electrocuted in botched copper
Older Slush 
 
~ Random Story ~
Email Alert!
NEW! Gift Shop
Rules – Search
Contact Darwin
Submit a Story
Philosophy Forum
Home

  

Darwin Awards
2010 Slush Pile

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

Man electrocuted in botched copper

2010 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

Darwin/Wendy says, "Thanks for the submission, but although foolhardy, it seems to me that this was a poor, desperate couple attempting to feed the children through theft of copper wire. Yes, it was dumb, but the victims were apparently trying their best to survive. This is best left in the Slush pile."
ORIGINAL SUBMISSION:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/10/24/california.copper.theft/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

and KABC http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=7742457

One man was electrocuted and his female partner was severely burned after the couple attempted to steal copper wire from a vacant property in southern California, police said.

"I believe they thought the power was off," said Lt. Keith Hupp of the South Gate Police Department.

"It was a pretty ugly scene," he added.

A witness said he rushed to the site after hearing an explosion.

"I just heard a loud explosion and a lady screaming, just screaming like crazy, so I walked over there and I seen her like half burned, and she was just like crying, asking for help for her husband," Jose Carrasco told CNN affiliate KABC.

Police said they believe they found the couple's children -- ages 3 and 6 -- waiting in a truck near the vacant property when they arrived at the scene Saturday afternoon.

The woman was being treated for severe burn injuries and listed in critical condition Saturday night, Hupp said, and the children were in the custody of protective services.

Police have not released the names of the victims pending notification of next of kin.

Submitted on 10/24/2010

Submitted by: The Todd
Reference: CNN.com Oct 24, 2010

Copyright © 2010 DarwinAwards.com

Great? 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Awful?
Love it! Hate it!
>> Moderator Scores <<

Bruce said:
Definitely Keep: For Darwin's Eyes
And the copper thieves seem to be returning in droves once again. More fodder for Darwin. Thanks, Todd!

Candi said:
Definitely Keep: For Darwin's Eyes
Yup. Although in this one I feel sorry for the kids. Thanks goodness they weren't hurt.

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