Submitted by W4BPT

April 1, 2008

Father, son die in attempted wire theft, rescue, sheriff says.

An apparent attempt at wire theft and failed heroics left a son and his father dead in Boone County on Friday night, the sheriff said Monday.

Around 11 p.m., Daniel Lawson Chapman, 22, of Seth, and an unidentified male allegedly went to the Hopkins Fork power substation to steal grounding wire, Sheriff Rodney Miller said in an e-mail.

The men cut a chain link fence to get into the Appalachian Power substation and were removing the wire when they came into contact with electricity.

Chapman was electrocuted, Miller said. The other man received electrical burns, but was able to leave the scene to get help.

When Chapman's father, Jack Chapman, 48, of Seth, found out about the incident, he apparently went to the substation to try to save his son, Miller said.

The elder Chapman also came into contact with the live power cables and was killed by electrocution.

Miller said the surviving participant of the incident may face criminal charges