Darwin says, "Accepted into the Archive. Nineteen submissions! Confirmed true."

The story says it all. He was repeatedly shooed away from the power line, but insisted on cutting it and now is safely out of the gene pool:

POND EDDY — Authorities say a drunken 64-year-old man died from electrocution early Saturday morning when he stood in a puddle and cut a live power line with an industrial saw.

Firefighters who had been guarding the line for about seven hours repeatedly told Mieczyskaw Mil to stay away from it, but the highly intoxicated man grew frustrated, fetched a circular saw from his house and began to cut the line. Sullivan County Undersheriff Eric Chaboty said that Mil was standing in a puddle of water while he cut the hissing, buzzing power line.

The transmission line sent roughly 4,800 volts of electricity through Mil’s body. Authorities said the man fell onto the line, became tangled in it and was killed by continuous electrocution. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Emergency responders could not remove the man’s body until Orange & Rockland utility workers shut down the power line.

“We did everything we could,” said Dick Martinkovic, commissioner of public safety in Sullivan County. “Police were there, firefighters were there, and they chased him away, literally, a couple times.”

- - -

Man dies cutting fallen electrical line with power saw
Published: Sunday, June 28, 2009

By The Associated Press and Mid-Hudson News Network

EDDY POND A Sullivan County man who was drunk and apparently impatient about power not being restored to his home after a storm was electrocuted early Saturday when he tried to cut through a downed electrical line with an industrial saw.

Sullivan County authorities said the fatal incident happened in the presence of firefighters who had been guarding the fallen line, which was carrying 4,800 volts of power.

They said 64-year-old Mieczyskaw Mil of Pond Eddy was intoxicated and ignored repeated orders to stay away from the cable. County Public Safety Commissioner Dick Martinkovic said officials chased Mil away from the line several times before he fetched the power saw from his house.

The incident happened not long after midnight. Mil was pronounced dead by Sullivan County Coroner Alan Kesten.

Authorities said the power line fell during a thunderstorm on Friday and had been down for about seven hours while utility crews tended to damage elsewhere.

Submitted on 06/27/2009

Submitted by: Mike
Reference: http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090627/NEWS/90627005

Copyright © 2009 DarwinAwards.com

Bruce said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
Electrocution deaths are a dime a dozen, but it sounds like this guy went well above and beyond. Thanks, Mike!

Candi said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
I agree with Bruce! Even drunks usually give up after the first couple rounds. But this -thanks, Mike!

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