Death of man at Stellarton, N.S. power substation investigated as copper-wire theft attempt

Police in Stellarton, N.S. are investigating the death of a man found behind a power substation as a possible copper-wire theft attempt.

In a release Tuesday, Stellarton police said they were called by Nova Scotia Power at 8 a.m., after employees found a deceased man at the substation on North Foord Street.

“The NS Power employees were searching for the source of a power disruption when they located the male,” police said. “This incident is being investigated as an attempted theft of copper wire.”

The man’s identity has not been confirmed.

In a statement, the chief operating officer of Nova Scotia Power said their thoughts were with the family of the man “at this very difficult time.”

Trending Now

“Unfortunately, this is a grave reminder of just how dangerous the theft of copper wire can be. We are cooperating fully with the Stellarton Police as they investigate this devastating situation,” he said.

According to the utility company, live wire can carry more than 25,000 volts of electricity, “so there is a very high risk of electrocution.”

Copper-wire theft can also generate unstable electrical current for customers and create dangerous working conditions for crews.

Anyone with information about the incident or video from the area is asked to call 902-752-6160 or contact Crime Stoppers.