Mesa Man in Critical Condition After Tampering With SRP Substation Near Elliot Road
Marcus Whitfield
A 911 Call From Inside the Fence
An unidentified man remains in critical condition after he was electrocuted at a Salt River Project substation in Mesa on Sunday morning, according to Mesa police.
The incident happened near Everton Terrace and Elliot Road at about 5 a.m. on June 21. Officers responded to a welfare check after receiving a 911 call from the injured man himself, said Detective Laura Cervantes, a Mesa police spokesperson.
The man was not an SRP employee, police said. He was tampering with equipment at the substation when he was shocked.
The man was hospitalized with severe electrical burns. His identity has not been released.
Federal Agencies Join the Investigation
Mesa detectives are working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI on the case, police said. The investigative results will be given to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office when completed.
Police said there was no threat to the public.
No Power Outages Reported
SRP confirmed that the man was not one of its employees. Spokesperson Patty Garcia-Likens said the incident did not cause any power disruptions for customers in the area.
Substations are high-voltage utility facilities that switch power through the grid and change electricity from one voltage level to another, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Industry safety guidance warns that the equipment used in substations can shock, burn or kill. That is why the facilities are fenced and marked with hazard signs.
The investigation is ongoing.