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May 30. 2007 11:43PM =

Police = Investigating after=20 Teens Shocked by Power Lines

WSBT-TV Report

Two=20 Kosciusko County teens are in serious condition after = they=20 were shocked by low voltage power lines outside their = home in=20 Winona Lake late Tuesday afternoon.

It = happened while=20 the boys were helping an electrician take down a T-V = antenna,=20 in an eerily similar accident to one that happened 24 = years=20 ago. Both cases involve the same = electrician.

It all=20 started with a simple phone call from Mark Cole to = Milford=20 electrician Ray Frost. It was a call that ran down the = same=20 series of lines that would later put two lives in=20 jeopardy.

Neighbors say Frost climbed up on the = roof=20 and asked for help to get the 50 foot T.V. tower down. = Mark's=20 sons, 19 year old Thomas, 17- year old Samuel, and = 15-year old=20 Jacob volunteered.

"They had a hold=20 of it and were slowly walking it down," said Winona = Lake=20 Police Chief Paul Schmitt. "And the top of the tower = came into=20 contact with the power lines in front of the=20 house."

Seconds later, a nearby fuse blew, = cutting off=20 power to the entire block. But the damage had already = been=20 done.

Rescuers struggled to help the severely = burned=20 boys, and investigators struggled to find answers. = Instead,=20 they found something unexpected about Ray = Frost.

"He=20 was involved in a similar incident in 1983 in Warsaw," = says=20 Chief Schmitt.

4 people were killed, including = Frost's=20 wife.

Jerry Landrum knew about that accident, = and says=20 the memories came flooding back when he saw Frost pull = up to=20 the Cole's home.

"I was concerned right off the = bat=20 when I saw the truck," said Landrum. "Not concerned = like 'I=20 know something is going to happen," but [because] I = knew the=20 history."

No one answered the door at Frost's = home=20 Wednesday, and our phone calls to his company weren't=20 returned.

Meanwhile, neighbors are struggling = to cope=20 with what happened, but they're still lending a hand = to help=20 care for the Cole's 8 other children.

Mark = Cole, who=20 wasn't hurt in the accident, didn't want to speak with = WSBT on=20 camera because of what he called "potential legal = issues", but=20 told us his sons are "slowly" = recovering.

Neighbors=20 just pray that recovery continues.

"We're = supporting=20 them in whatever way we can," said Landrum. "The = neighborhood=20 is near and dear to us, and we love those = kids."

Jacob=20 and Samuel were both upgraded to serious condition at = St. Joe=20 Hospital's burn unit in Fort Wayne, though doctors say = they do=20 still have a long road ahead. Thomas Cole is already = back home=20 and recovering well.

Police called the = electrocution in=20 1983 an accident, and no charges were ever filed. = Chief=20 Schmitt says the incident at the Cole's home is still = under=20 investigation, and charges could still be filed. But = he adds,=20 everything investigators have uncovered so far = suggests the=20 shocking there was an accident too.

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