Posted on 04/26/2006 1:44:26 PM PDT by aomagrat
A Sumter man was severely burned late Sunday night after he reportedly climbed an electrical pole to try and steal copper wire.
Authorities said Herbert Wayne Odom, 34, of 306 E. Charlotte Ave. was taken to Tuomey Regional Medical Center and later flown by helicopter to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Ga., following the 9:30 p.m. incident.
"There's fluid around his heart, and he's burnt up pretty good," said a man who only wanted to be identified as Odom's brother. "We're not sure if he's going to make it."
His condition could not be determined as of late Monday night.
A Sumter Police report said officers responded to the 700 block of Broad Street to find a semi-conscious Odom trapped between two transformers.
It's not known how long Odom was trapped before rescue crews arrived to free him, but the report said officers left the incident scene about four hours after they were called in.
Police said a ladder, rubber and garden gloves, vice grips and a wrench were seized from the scene.
Sumter Police Chief Patty Patterson said most people generally steal copper wire from construction sites and don't risk the chance of being injured by climbing an electrical pole.
"In my experience, this is the first time I've heard of anything like this happening," she said.
Theft of copper wire and aluminum is on the rise, authorities said, because it can be sold at high market prices. The increase, officials have said, is fueled in part by a building boom in China that has pushed the demand for copper and aluminum to historic highs.
Police said during a search of Odom's home, they found a pile of stripped copper wire in his back yard.
Patterson said Odom has not been charged in the incident, but his girlfriend, Rebecca E. Greggs, 43, of 1540 N. Main St. was arrested after she reportedly told officers she dropped her boyfriend off on Broad Street and was told to come pick him back up.
She is being held at Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center awaiting a bond hearing, a jail spokesman said Monday.
Definitely a potential Darwin Award winner.
oh dear Odum don't you fry for me,
I come from Alabama with some copper on my knee...
Sounds like a Darwin Award candidate.
Every time copper gets valuable, dimwits like this one go out and get themselves crisped.
Few people realize what that much electricity can do. A friend of mine was a lineman and one of us buddies went up in the basket and for some reason grabbed hold of the line - and while he miraculously lived, both of his hands were literally burnt off instanteously. My friend had to get him down. It was not pleasant.
This guy is dumb enough to be a Democratic Representative like Cynthia McKinney....both Darwinites! Looks like he got a charge out of stealing, doesn't it?
some people try to charge everything
Sounds like a recent date I had.
.and the same thieves steal my copper piping used in new construction, even after it has been installed....what they can't steal they destroy.
A real, live ZOT!
Guess he found a live one.
Herbert Wayne Odom, 34
The three-named hillbilly is the most reckless of all hillbillies.
"There's fluid around his heart, and he's burnt up pretty good,"
But he’s still “good people.”
Do you want to tell us more about this?
Odom was quoted as saying, "You coppers won't make this charge stick. I'll take this to circuit court! I'll take it all the way to DC!"
Zulu Oscar Tango
1) Don't try to drink from a fire hose.
2) Don't try to dognap a pit bull.
3) Don't light a match to see if there's gas in the tank.
4) Don't try to steal copper wire while the current is on.
My daughter and SIL are in construction, and it's amazing what people will do - it's like having vultures hanging over the house while it's being built.
Important safety tip:
When stealing copper from transmission lines, ensure that the power is switched OFF.
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