There was a person with severe burns admitted to the nearest hospital (OLVG) so that wasn't a real problem (for the authorities, for that guy it was a completely different matter). I trust his copper thieving days were over. It was a real problem too because it wasn't exactly a trivial thing to splice, in the end they just ran a new cable in exactly the same way and that one lasted until the substation was back online. I lived there (illegally) at the time so I got to be the one to call it in. I got some funny looks from the cops when I returned to my company quarters with the power off.

To make matters worse: I also took that whole lot offline one cursed evening not that long afterwards just before a tradeshow. Not my best moment. To put it mildly.