Burned man found hanging from electric tower was taking copper wiring, PA cops say

A man was badly shocked while stealing copper wire from an electrical tower in Pennsylvania, according to police.

First responders found the man hanging in the air from a power supply tower in Plainfield Township around 6 a.m. on Nov. 4, the Slate Belt Regional Police Department said in a Jan. 1 news release. He was badly injured after cutting into a “large copper wire,” which was apparently live.

The jolt knocked the 51-year-old off the tower and left him with severe burns, police told Lehigh Valley News.

He might have been stuck, suspended high above the ground indefinitely if it weren’t for some nearby hunters who heard him yelling for help and dialed 911, the outlet reported.

After rescuing the man, investigators found tools and equipment at the scene belonging to him that they say he used to take copper wiring, the release said.

He was arrested on Dec. 30, nearly two months after the incident, according to police.

He is facing charges of attempted theft, possessing instruments of crime, and criminal mischief.

Plainfield Township is about 80 miles north of downtown Philadelphia.

This story was originally published January 3, 2023 at 2:48 PM with the headline "Burned man found hanging from electric tower was taking copper wiring, PA cops say."