Officials: Man shocked after entering Duke Energy substation

Police are investigating the incident but said they are not sure why Frankie James Dobbins entered the substation.

Dobbins was discovered after Duke Energy sent a repair technician to the scene after the power went out. The employee found the man and flagged down a police officer.

Dobbins was taken to Cleveland Regional Medical Center and then flown to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center's Burn Unit. He was last listed in critical condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Many Kings Mountain residents woke recently to find the power had been cut. The power went out about 3:30 a.m. April 25 and took several hours to restore, said Nick Hendricks, director of Kings Mountain's electric department.

Duke Energy's substations have six-foot high fences with locked gates and signs indicating the potential dangers, company spokeswoman Marylyn Lineberger said.

"You should never enter a substation unless you're trained to work there," Lineberger said. "The price of life is more important than the price of metal."