HARMAN, Va. —
A man was hospitalized after attempting to steal copper wire from a transformer, according to Buchanan County Sheriff Ray Foster.
Ervin Hardin of Hurley, Va., was attempting to steal copper wire from a transformer on Route 609 in Harman, according to Foster. Police received a call around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday evening and found Hardin hanging from the power pole after receiving an electric shock from the transformer, Foster said.
Hardin was sent to Buchanan General Hospital and his condition is currently unknown. The incident is currently under investigation by local law enforcement.
John Shepelwich, a spokesperson with Appalachian Electric Power, said the company was notified of the incident by local police.
“Basically, we got a call to that area about 8 p.m. Tuesday night from local emergency authorities,” Shepelwich said. “We had to send a line servicer to de-energize the circuit and get the man down and then re-energize the circuit.”
Shepelwich said the circuit contained approximately 12,000 volts of electricity and may have caused a power outage for local residents when it was de-energized to safely remove Hardin.
According to Shepelwich, copper thefts are on the rise in both Virginias.
“ We are definitely seeing an uptick on this sort of activity,” he said. Shepelwich said three individuals in Virginia and West Virginia have died attempting to steal copper in similar ways.
“It puts them at risk and places emergency responders at risk when they have to perform rescues like this or for our service men to replace copper wire,” he said. “It’s such a risky business and the value of the outcome isn’t worth.”
Even though copper prices are dropping, Shepelwich said the increase of copper thefts as well as the skill of thieves seem to be on the increase.
“You would have to steal a lot to make it worth your while,” he said. “We are seeing an increase in the technical skills of some of these people. We’ve been hit by people with bucket trucks and who seem to have knowledge of the power service.”
Shepelwich said not only can those attempting to steal the wire can be prosecuted but so can people who are knowledgeably buying or selling stolen copper wire.
In addition, copper thefts can affect everyone in the local community. Shepelwich noted that approximately $1 million worth of copper was taken from AEP last year. These copper thefts increase company costs, leading to the company to recoup those costs in other ways, such as implementing rate increases in the long-term.
“It affects innocent customers,” Shepelwich said. “We offer rewards up to $500 that led to the arrest of copper thieves. People can call any time and it’s tool free and confidential. We certainly encourage people to report any such activity to their local law enforcement.”
Shepelwich encouraged any one who had any knowledge of a copper theft or plans for copper theft to contact AEP’s confidential hotline at (866)-747-5845.
Local News
July 29, 2010
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