A man suspected of trying to steal copper wiring is in serious condition in hospital after he was nearly electrocuted while cutting live power lines.
The near fatal incident comes only 11 days after Northpower officials warned desperate thieves they were putting themselves at risk by stealing copper from live power lines on Northpower's network.
The injured 18-year-old from Ruawai was collected from a rural property on Chadwick Rd, near Tinopai, by a policeman who had been alerted to the incident about 3pm on Friday.
The teenager was then transferred to a St John ambulance on Tinopai Rd and taken to a sports field near Maungaturoto, where volunteer firefighters helped load him into the Northland Electricity rescue helicopter. He had suffered a serious burn on his right arm
He was flown to Whangarei Hospital and on Sunday transferred to Middlemore Hospital, where patients with serious burns can be treated.