Man dies near York County, SC, power site after ‘unauthorized access,’ officials say
Utility workers found a body Tuesday near a power transformer in South Carolina west of Lake Wylie in what York Electric Cooperative officials said is believed to be “unauthorized access to high-voltage utility equipment.”
Deputies suspect the man touched a wire that was electrified, according to Trent Faris, spokesman for the York County Sheriff’s Office.
The person was not an employee or contractor for the utility, according to the statement from York electric that said the person had accessed the site without authorization.
He was found dead near Carlton Court and Dale Valley Circle, north of Clover, after a reported power outage, according to a sheriff’s office incident report and York electric. Two utility workers found the body when responding to the outage, officials said.
The workers then found a power box with the lock cut off, lid open and wires inside that were burnt, the report stated.
The York County Coroner has not yet identified the person who died.
The utility serves more than 62,000 customers in York County.
An investigation remains ongoing, York electric officials said.
