From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Intruder shocked, burned at Renton substation
A man who apparently intended to steal wire was nearly electrocuted early Wednesday when he cut a copper wire on top of a high-voltage transformer at a Puget Sound Energy substation, officials said.
King County deputies first responded to a report of an explosion about 4:30 a.m. at the substation between Renton and Issaquah.
Firefighters removed the injured man and took him to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with second- and third-degree burns over 60 percent of his body, Eastside Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Dave McDaniel said.
The man is in critical condition in the intensive care unit, hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg said.
The incident knocked out power for about 2,800 utility customers in the area, but service was restored by 6:30 a.m., Puget Sound Energy spokesman Ray Lane said.
It's assumed the man broke through the perimeter fence in an attempt steal wire to resell as scrap, Lane said. Such wire thefts have been a problem for years for utilities around the country.
Stupid is as stupid does - electrical burns hurt a lot because not only does the skin get burned, the underlying tissue and muscles get cooked too.
Paging Dr. Darwin. Dr. Charles Darwin to the white courtesy phone please...
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