Electric Co-op Today

William J. Reavis shouldn’t have been inside the normally locked fenced perimeter of a co-op substation in Raeford, N.C. on Aug. 14. But the 23-year-old man was perched atop a high-voltage regulator around 4 a.m. when he apparently cut a ground wire and came in contact with a deadly charge of electricity.

A suspected copper thief was electrocuted when he apparently cut a ground wire attached to a voltage regulator at this co-op substation in Raeford, N.C. (Photo By: Lumbee River EMC)

“Our investigation shows he was in the process of stealing copper wire,” said Hoke County Sheriff Hubert Peterkin. The sheriff told ECT.coop that copper theft incidents have been on the rise in his jurisdiction.

“Everybody’s getting hit,” said Peterkin. “These guys are stealing the stuff from new construction sites and wherever they can find it.”

In this case, the target was the Buffalo Springs power substation, which serves consumer-members of Lumbee River Electric Membership Corp., headquartered in Red Springs, N.C.

“It’s obvious to us he was intending to steal copper wire inside the substation,” said Walter White, manager of marketing for the co-op. “Just going inside a substation is dangerous. That’s high-voltage electricity.”

The jolt was strong enough to knock him off the regulator. He was found on the ground 10 feet below the connection he allegedly cut and pronounced dead at the scene.

Officials in the sheriff’s department have said they believe at least one other person was involved, and the investigation is ongoing. It’s believed the suspects entered the facility after cutting the lock.

The sheriff’s department has increased its patrols around the co-op’s facilities, said White. “We’re also looking into other steps we can take to make our fenced facilities even more secure.”

Tags: Co-op News, Copper Theft, Crime