# St.Lawrences Hospital Bodmin Fatality



## highcannons (May 4, 2011)

http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/new...nd-tunnel/article-3513786-detail/article.html


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## mr_bones (May 4, 2011)

I am in shear disbelief! Totally gobsmacked to read this article. Thankyou for posting and alerting us to this.


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## King Al (May 4, 2011)

That is a little worrying that! The amount of time ive spent in the various tunnels of many hospitals!  

The cynic in me does make me wonder if perhaps he may have been after copper though...


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## dangerous dave (May 4, 2011)

the place got raped by land pirates a few months back, the guy was blatantly after copper word on the street says they had cutting gear when they found him and tbh sounds like the guy cut a live cable rather than was on an explore


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## highcannons (May 4, 2011)

dangerous dave said:


> the place got raped by land pirates a few months back, the guy was blatantly after copper word on the street says they had cutting gear when they found him and tbh sounds like the guy cut a live cable rather than was on an explore



Plod seems to think they were after copper too, the name in the earlier report has been removed so could be true - in case of prosecution?


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## Krypton (May 4, 2011)

Ive seen one report saying he was called Keith Greaves dont know any explorers of that name...


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## krela (May 4, 2011)

highcannons said:


> Plod seems to think they were after copper too, the name in the earlier report has been removed so could be true - in case of prosecution?



I've not seen many dead people in court...


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## Priority 7 (May 4, 2011)

krela said:


> I've not seen many dead people in court...



Lol, too true. I was wondering if the were cutting cables for copper TBH if so maybe it will serve as a reminder to the others of the dangers of thieving. However if he wasn't a land pirate my condolences


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## highcannons (May 4, 2011)

Krypton said:


> Ive seen one report saying he was called Keith Greaves dont know any explorers of that name...


yes, that name featured in first reports - later reports which spoke of possible theft had no name. There were two persons involved so thats wot I meant by prosecution....electric chair I expect!


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## dizzydebs (May 5, 2011)

makes u wonder if they will tighten up on security following this making it more difficult for explores


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## dangerous dave (May 5, 2011)

dizzydebs said:


> makes u wonder if they will tighten up on security following this making it more difficult for explores



have you seen the place


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## ImmortalShadow (May 5, 2011)

Blimey


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## RedDave (May 6, 2011)

I'm getting worried about all this metal theft, and am now wondering whether continuing to hide behind a pseudonym is the best thing to do. As I'm not committing any crimes, it might be easier to establish my innocence quickly if I'm open about my identity. Plod can then link me with Red Dave's reports and see it's a perfectly innocent, if unconventional, hobby. Having a camera and tripod isn't enough - Plod might think I'm casing the joint. I know it's "innocent until proven guilty" but I'd rather not be arrested in the first place.

Has anyone else thought about this? I know a few urban explorers do use their real names (or appear to), and a few use pseudonyms but have well-known (or at least easily established) real names. I know there might be an issue for someone working in security (or the police) but that doesn't apply to me.


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## Snips86x (May 6, 2011)

This is really bad, will have to take more care regardless of what the circumstances were.


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## night crawler (May 6, 2011)

Metal theft goes on all the time and with copper being at a premium along with lead stealing it form a derelict property seems an easy choice which is why a lot of places we come across are trashed by pikeys or smackheads looking for something easy to steal and sell. I know the local hospital near me which many of you have visited gets smackheads going in stealing door handles and anything easily removed. The fact one person gets electrocuted by a live copper cable makes me think straight away he was trying to steal it so got his comeuppance for his mistake. Urban explorers don't go round stealing anything other than a moment in time on their camera so why be so shocked over this. If the guy was legitimate and trying to follow his hobby to get a photo then I'm sorry to hear of what happened if he was stealing then tough some others might learn a lesson from his mistake but I doubt it.


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## krela (May 6, 2011)

RedDave said:


> I'm getting worried about all this metal theft, and am now wondering whether continuing to hide behind a pseudonym is the best thing to do. As I'm not committing any crimes, it might be easier to establish my innocence quickly if I'm open about my identity. Plod can then link me with Red Dave's reports and see it's a perfectly innocent, if unconventional, hobby. Having a camera and tripod isn't enough - Plod might think I'm casing the joint. I know it's "innocent until proven guilty" but I'd rather not be arrested in the first place.
> 
> Has anyone else thought about this? I know a few urban explorers do use their real names (or appear to), and a few use pseudonyms but have well-known (or at least easily established) real names. I know there might be an issue for someone working in security (or the police) but that doesn't apply to me.



It makes absolutely zero difference to the police or CPS if you use a pseudonym or your real name online. You've got a case of the screaming paranoias I think.


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## smiler (May 6, 2011)

From what news that I have gathered about this incident, the name quoted is correct, they were there after copper and the security has been considerably tightened.

The security guard that we met there on our last visit was very aware of the difference between what we do and metal scavengers, we still got asked to leave, but nicely.


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## flava (May 6, 2011)

I got wind of this the day it happened and upto now has been kept quiet, there is also another one here

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/8492063/Man-electrocuted-in-tunnel-beneath-mental-hospital.html


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## nelly (May 13, 2011)

flava said:


> I got wind of this the day it happened and upto now has been kept quiet, there is also another one here
> 
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/8492063/Man-electrocuted-in-tunnel-beneath-mental-hospital.html



""The site is also popular with ''urban explorers'', people who gain entry, often through breaking in"

Cheeky Bugger!!!


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## highcannons (Dec 1, 2011)

*The conclusion of this adventure,
*
Metal thief was electrocuted stealing copper

Thursday, December 01, 2011
West Briton


A METAL thief was electrocuted during a daytime copper raid in a labyrinth of tunnels under a disused mental hospital.

Keith 'Yorkie' Greaves died after he stripped a live wire to power the electric tools he was using to cut up an old copper water tank in the disused St Lawrence's Hospital, Bodmin.

At an inquest into the death of the married father of two of Jubilee Road, Threemilestone, his childhood friend and accomplice Neil Knight said he heard an indescribable noise as he walked away from Mr Greaves.

Mechanic Mr Knight said: "I shone my torch in Keith's direction. He was on his knees with his back towards me.

"It all happened so fast ... I remember then going to the front of Keith and seeing a grey cable by his hand.

"I immediately kicked it away and knelt down in front of Keith facing him. He looked to be slowly falling down.

"His eyes were open and bloodshot, his mouth was open and I could hear a noise, similar to a snore, coming from Keith."

He lay Mr Greaves on the floor and tried in vain to resuscitate him before running out of the narrow tunnels, where he had no mobile signal, to call for an ambulance just after 2pm.

Despite paramedics arriving in less than four minutes they and fire crews could not get to Mr Greaves until the electricity was turned off more than three hours later. Patients were having kidney dialysis in a modern part of the hospital and electricity could not be switched off until the treatment was finished.

Emergency services found Mr Greaves lying in the middle of the wire-filled room with a grey flex, which had supplied a fire alarm, hanging down from the ceiling, the end stripped and wires exposed near his body. He was pronounced dead by paramedics just before 6pm.

Bodmin-based fireman Jonathan Hodgson described the area the two men had been working in as being "covered" with stripped cables.

The inquest heard how the pair had set out on Easter Monday of this year to steal copper cabling from the hospital after Mr Greaves, 40, read about the metals in the disused building on the internet.

A post-mortem examination found the current had entered through his left hand and exited between his shoulder blades, where there was a 35cm patch of charred skin.

Concluding Mr Greaves's electrocution was the result of an accident, deputy coroner for Cornwall Andrew Cox issued a stark warning to metal thieves.

"I very much hope anyone who's been here today or reads the reports gives cause to consider the perils of trespassing and then engaging in an activity such as this," he said.

"It's an absolute tragedy that this has taken a turn that led to the death of Mr Greaves. It's a senseless waste of young life."


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## Cuban B. (Dec 1, 2011)

"steal copper cabling from the hospital after Mr Greaves, 40, read about the metals in the disused building on the internet." I wonder if they read about the building on an urbex site.


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## The Archivist (Dec 1, 2011)

Cuban B. said:


> I wonder if they read about the building on an urbex site.



Well, it's a distinct possibility, I don't imagine there can be many 'metal theives' information boards' out there...

Just goes to show, be careful what you post and where you post it.


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## the|td4 (Dec 2, 2011)

It's more than likely that the information came from an urbex forum, thinking that it "might have" is just kidding yourself. 

Simply type "derelict" into google and see what's first to pop up.

I know rules and regs have been tightened on the forum about posting location info but sadly the "urbex forum" (and I'm not pinning it on this one) is it's own worst enemy.

I've been an "urbexer" for many years but it's only been the last two or three that I've called myself that, before then I just called myself nosy.

I've stopped posting mostly because of the metal thieves using forums to locate sites and then plunder them, now I rarely post anything and the photos I take I keep to myself and my urbex buddy unless they're entirely "generic" in nature or have no potential for any theft.

I had a real wake up call when I got nabbed by security once at one of our local asylums and they immediately asked "are you from that 28 days website?"

Krela has one hell of a job on to keep a functional forum that shows sites but doesn't give directions.

As regards to someone getting killed on a derelict site, it's not the first time and certainly not the last. I've always expected to find a body one of these days and I'm surprised more haven't died in these sites or at the very least been seriously injured.

Nothing much can be done about it now, it's naive to think that metal thieves aren't clued up when it comes to searching online for places to go and rob, cat's out of the bag and it appears to have turned into a bengal tiger.


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## Faing (Dec 2, 2011)

some people go on safari armed with a camera whilst ithers go armed wiyh a gun. is it fair to keep all thee best safari destinations secret? you cant surely blame the likes of websites sucha sthis because scrap metal theft predates the internet by a few hundred years.As fo holding the likes of krela responsible in part..thats bollocks.


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## highcannons (Dec 2, 2011)

Faing said:


> some people go on safari armed with a camera whilst ithers go armed wiyh a gun. is it fair to keep all thee best safari destinations secret? you cant surely blame the likes of websites sucha sthis because scrap metal theft predates the internet by a few hundred years.As fo holding the likes of krela responsible in part..thats bollocks.



Blimey! However you paint it it aint the fault of Krela! But it is right to say that thieving pre-dates the web. The web is simply a tool - to be used for good or bad. We have to lock our tools up as best as possible but the robbers can always buy their own. All that can be done is to take reasonable precautions but the wisest amongst us will make the odd slip.

What we shouldn't consider is a scheme of 'sleeping policeman' for forums where all are punished for the ills of some?


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## UrbanX (Dec 2, 2011)

Cheers for sharing the info guys. I think Anpanman has nailed it when he said we should be really careful.
Yeah this guy was stealing, but it could be any one of us brushing past a live cable.


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## the|td4 (Dec 2, 2011)

Faing said:


> some people go on safari armed with a camera whilst ithers go armed wiyh a gun. is it fair to keep all thee best safari destinations secret? you cant surely blame the likes of websites sucha sthis because scrap metal theft predates the internet by a few hundred years.As fo holding the likes of krela responsible in part..thats bollocks.



You misunderstand, I didn't blame him at all I said he had a hard job to do moderating all the people who do post far too much information.

Metal theft has indeed gone on long before the Internet was around, nobody's disputing that, the problem is that the Internet has made it very easy for those who might never have stumbled across a site to have a look around inside them and judge whether it's worth their while to go and rob it blind. 

This is one of these "pickles" to muse over but there is no real solution. We can do our best by self moderation when it comes to posting pics online - I think you'll find that many of the vets will have the same opinion as I do (it's catch 22). 

As an example on a related sort of matter - I'm an offroader, I go all over the place with the 4x4 and go greenlaning. Recently there's been a lot (and I mean a lot) of damage done to greenlanes (that don't repair themselves) and it's getting worse. There's a magazine that a lot of the 4x4 community buy which in every issue shows navigation details on how to find interesting greenlanes to go and explore. Now, there's nothing illegal with that but it's quite a few of the community are up in arms because it's now so easy for the idiots to find greenlanes to go and wreck. They don't care about the tread lightly approach or bothering to check that the lane is legally driveable or plan anything on a map, they just go to the nearest newsagent pickup a magazine and follow detailed instructions. The guides are used by both the pros and the yahoos and there's nothing you can do about that.

There is no easy solution to all of this. One forum/website closes another pops up to take its place and the cycle goes on and security is tightened and buildings are locked down tighter and tighter to the point where they're no longer accessible at all. What are you going to do? We could all stop posting and showing off our pictures and that might help things a little but it won't eradicate the problem, same as that 4x4 mag could stop printing directions to greenlanes and the yahoos wouldn't bother themselves to research and find them because most of them will consider it to be too much trouble. Seeing the parallels? 

I'm not here to shout and say everyone should stop posting online because it won't solve the issue at all, but at least with urbex we the community can self moderate and think long and hard about posting the pics we do because after all we're not really meant to be at a lot of the places we go (whether we agree with that or not).


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## krela (Dec 3, 2011)

Faing said:


> some people go on safari armed with a camera whilst ithers go armed wiyh a gun. is it fair to keep all thee best safari destinations secret? you cant surely blame the likes of websites sucha sthis because scrap metal theft predates the internet by a few hundred years.As fo holding the likes of krela responsible in part..thats bollocks.



^^^^^ This.

Metal miners have been doing a very effective job since the 1960s, and before that it was looters of bombed out buildings after WW2. 

There is no doubt that artefacts go missing because of urbex forums, but empty buildings have been stripped of valuable metals for as long as empty buildings have contained valuable metals. 

I have always encouraged people to be very careful about what they post and how much detail they give, but ultimately it's up to the individual. Even if forums didn't exist people would still create their own websites with the same information on, so ultimately it makes no difference.

Really it is a social problem, not a technical one.


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