Utah Authorities Concerned About People Hammocking Atop Power Lines

Authorities in Utah are sounding the alarm about a weird and worrisome trend wherein people hammock atop power lines. The Weber County Sheriff's Office made note of the unnerving fad in a Facebook post last week, explaining that they have seen a troubling increase in thrill-seekers attempting to pull off the far-from-relaxing feat. The department shared a photo showing two such individuals ascending a power line tower with one of the climbers having already reached a rather nerve-wracking height.

The department understandably expressed considerable concern over the dangerous practice, noting that these would-be hammockers are sometimes forced to deftly cross over power lines connected to the tower as they make their way to the top. According to their post, the cables "carry 75,000 kilovolts" that can actually jump from the lines, presumably when someone gets too close. Calling the hammocking craze "extremely risky," the department implored residents to not jump on the proverbial bandwagon as "we would really hate to see someone injured from either a fall or electrocution."