Stunt Of The Week (6)

Thrill seekers have found a new way to get a buzz in Northern Utah, by climbing electricity pylons and lounging on hammocks from the top. So concerned are the authorities about this practice that they have issued warnings that what they term an “extremely risky” action can lead to an appointment with the beak or, worse still, with their maker.

A spokesman for Rocky Mountain Power, which supplies electricity to about 1.2 million customers in Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming, said that not even their employees climb the pylons, using lifts which are earthed and insulated instead. The power line which police saw two hammocks strung from carries 46,000 kilovolts of electricity, enough to extend the daredevils’ power nap into eternity.

You don’t even have to touch the power lines to get zapped, an official warned. If you get close enough and are earthed, an arc can jump across the gap from the power line to you.

There must be a better, and safer, way of enjoying the stunning scenery of the mountain terrain.