An abnormality has occurred in a huge radio tower. Will Payne of Payne Media Group received a warning from his power company in the middle of the night telling him the same thing. But it wasn’t until they arrived at the scene around 5 a.m. in sub-zero temperatures that they realized what had happened.
The tower in question was a 499-foot mast in the middle of a field in Hugo, Oklahoma, about the same height as the United Nations building in New York. K95.5 was broadcast. This is a radio station in Oklahoma and Texas that plays “Continuous Country.”
It was still dark outside when Payne pulled over, but his truck’s headlights spotted something on the ground.
he couldn’t believe it. The top half of the tower was in tatters, but crumpled mess Made of steel painted white and red. Payne also saw that a small building at the base of the tower had been broken into. He put the truck in reverse and called the police.
“It’s my worst nightmare,” Payne said. An inspection of the ruins later that morning revealed that the coaxial copper cable, measuring meters and centimeters in thickness, had apparently been stolen from the broken mast and torn apart with power tools. “He built this tower in 2017, so it’s brand new to me. It’s just heartbreaking.”
Metal theft is on the rise and mainly involves: Soaring product prices.For example, copper prices are about 30 percent higher than they were five years ago, while steel prices are 200% spike However, prices have calmed down significantly over the past two years. So thieves steal everything from drain covers to miles of copper cable. The conduits that connect people, the infrastructure upon which civilization depends, all come naturally to metal bandits. The disruption caused is often completely disproportionate to the face value of the stolen material.
This type of theft is becoming increasingly serious as the world becomes more electrified and more dependent on machines packed with copper, steel and precious metals. Meanwhile, the victim is left wondering if there is a way to stop it.
Metal theft is nothing new. For example, historians speculate that there were ancient thieves who not only stole gold and jewelry. stole a metal razor blade From the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. These tools were likely melted down and traded.
Theft is perhaps more common today than ever before, as our lives are completely dependent on metal infrastructure.Earlier this month, metal thieves attacked the German railway networkwhich temporarily “paralyzes” you.
In India, the following reports were made: One kilometer of metal fence stolen The entire bridge is accessible from major highways. Allegedly stolen in 2022. Cable theft on South Africa’s transport network is so common that academics are writing papers about how it happens. affected the free flow of traffic In the country. Some thieves also steal metal plaques from gravestones in cemeteries. This is happening in both countries. England and America.
