Two men die after electrocution at a power substation in Gainesville, Georgia

What happened

Emergency crews were called to a transformer fire at a power substation in Gainesville, Georgia, around 3 a.m. First responders found two men dead from an apparent electrocution. Police said the men had trespassed, broken into a fenced area and tried to steal from the substation when they were electrocuted. The Gainesville Fire Department and Georgia Power worked to make the area safe so the bodies could be recovered. The report said investigators were still working to identify the men.

Contributing factors

Police said the men trespassed into a fenced substation area and attempted theft, and were then electrocuted. The report does not say how the transformer fire started or what they tried to take.

Lessons learned

1. Substation fencing and access control need to deter unauthorised entry.
2. Operators should review how intrusion at remote sites is detected and responded to.
3. Emergency services and the utility need a clear way to make a live site safe before recovery work.

Source

kbtx.com