Police say an attempted copper theft led to the death of a man found electrocuted Wednesday.



At 2:45 a.m., Enmax emergency crews were called to a substation at 3515 80 Ave. S.E. as a result of an electronic alarm.

Staff Sgt. Jason Bobrowich of the Calgary Police Service Stolen Property Unit said when emergency crews entered the substation they found the deceased man within the fenced compound.

“An individual, as a result of break and enter into a substation, was very unfortunately electrocuted,” he said.

Police have already identified the man, believed to be in his 40s, but his name has not been released pending next of kin notification.

While the autopsy has not yet been conducted, police say it is believed the man had broken into the substation and was electrocuted.

Evidence at the scene suggested it was an attempted theft of metal.

Doris Kaufmann-Woodcock, a spokeswoman for Enmax, said the crews that went to the substation found a set of bolt cutters beside the man’s body.

Bobrowich said copper theft throughout the entire province is a significant public safety issue.

“The risk that offenders put themselves, first responders and emergency workers attending these locations is significant,” he said.

Police across the province are working with utility companies such as Enmax to ensure that their facilities are secured with proper signage, sufficient patrols and reducing the amount of copper kept on site.

Bobrowich said companies have been replacing copper with copper weld — a material that essentially has no scrap value.

“It has the same function as copper but absolutely has no value at all,” he said.

Police are also working hand-in-hand with scrap dealers across Alberta, he said.

“They’re on the look out for this material continually and will not accept it and will not purchase it from the person who brings it in.”

Bobrowich said this is second copper theft-related fatality in Calgary since 2008, when a man died after attempting to steal copper at the old general hospital site in an underground utility vault.

He added police have laid 157 copper-theft charges this year.

There was a small power outage related to the incident.