At-Risk Survivors have misadventures that stop short of the ultimate
sacrifice. Nevertheless we salute the spirit of their colossal
blunders with an Honorable Mention. Better luck next time!
Shocking Rappel
2008 At-Risk Survivor
Confirmed True by Darwin
(1 June 2008, West Virginia) This one's simple. A man climbed the high voltage power line tower behind his house, attached a rope to the top of it, and began to rappel down. He was shocked to discover that his harmless hobby was not safe at all, when he hit a power line that carries "as much as 46,000 volts," according to American Electric Power employees. The man fell to the ground, a battered but lucky survivor of what easily could have been a Darwin Awards caliber misjudgment.