UPDATED: Man electrocuted at power substation in Stellarton, police say

“Out of respect for his family, we are not releasing the deceased’s name at this time,” said Hobeck in the release. “The investigation is still ongoing.”

Nova Scotia Power employees discovered a man’s body behind the substation while they were investigating the cause of a power failure shortly before 8 a.m. on Feb. 7.

That day, Hobeck confirmed the police are investigating the man’s death as an attempted copper wire theft from the North Food Street substation.

The substation in Stellarton is easy to miss unless you’re looking for it. Nearly hidden from view on the road, dozens of cars pass by daily. Substantial fencing surrounds the substation, making it a challenge for members of the public to access it.

Though a handful of residential homes are situated across the street, knocks on doors went unanswered.

Mina Atia, communications advisor with Nova Scotia Power, said theft of copper wire isn’t new, however the company has seen an increase over the last year with more than a couple dozen cases across the province.

“Fortunately, there hasn’t been a death in recent years; however this act can be fatal and can increase risk to public safety as well,” Atia said via email. “Live wires can carry more than 25,000 volts of electricity, so there is a very high risk of electrocution. We continue to work with local police/RCMP by sharing what information we can about these thefts.”

More than 4,000 NSP customers in Pictou County experienced power outages throughout the day on Feb. 7.

“From our perspective, yes, it was related,” said Hobeck of the outages.

The police release also included information on the dangers surrounding copper wire thefts:

• It can generate an unstable electrical current for customers in the area and create very dangerous working conditions for power crews.
• It can also affect service for power customers. The theft itself could cause an outage – or power crews might have to interrupt service in order to make repairs.

Anyone with information about the incident, including video, is asked to call the Stellarton Police Service at 902-752-6160.