UPDATE:
The Hall County Coroner has identified the two men who died Monday in Gainesville as a result of a power substation break-in.
The bodies of Shane Joseph Long, 45, and Christopher Blair Wood, 44, have both been sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for autopsy.
As of 2:06 p.m. Monday:
Two men died by electrocution Monday morning after the pair reportedly broke into a fenced-in area at a Georgia Power substation located off Atlanta Highway in Gainesville.
Emergency crews were called Monday around 3AM to an explosion and possible fire located on the 2100 block of Atlanta Highway. Once crews arrived, two deceased males were seen inside a fenced-in area of a large power station, Gainesville Police Lieutenant Kevin Holbrook said.
"At this time, it appears the two individuals trespassed on the property, broke into a fenced area and attempted to steal from the power station, and unfortunately, they were electrocuted and killed during the incident," he said.
The Gainesville Fire Department and Georgia Power were on the scene and secured the area before responders could retrieve the men whose identities were unknown. Law enforcement confirmed the men to be adult males on the scene; however, the men could not be identified further due to injuries they sustained. The men are believed to have been stealing copper wire from the facility, Holbrook said.
"[The incident] put law enforcement as well as fire department, emergency crews, and utility crews in a very bad position because [the two men] were entangled in this very large power substation," Holbrook said. "It took some time to be able to formulate a plan of action to be able to safely recover their bodies."
Both bodies were sent to the GBI's crime lab in hopes they may be identified; however, officials were not sure when they will receive a positive identification, according to Holbrook.
The case remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact the Gainesville Police Department.
