Police: Man dies in fall after trying to climb 280-foot cell tower
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COOPERSTOWN, Pa. (AP) - State police say a man who tried to climb a 280-foot cellular tower in western Pennsylvania apparently slipped and plunged to his death.
Police in Venango County say 55-year-old William Eugene Wall of Centerville was with family and friends at a campfire in Jackson Township early Thursday when he walked to the AT&T tower about 250 yards away.
Police say he climbed an approximately seven-foot fence to get to reach the tower and began climbing amid heavy fog that made the structure slippery.
Police say he "is believed to have slipped" and fell to the ground, where he succumbed to his injuries shortly before 4 a.m. Thursday despite life-saving measures attempted by family members.
Police and the county coroner are investigating the case as an accidental death.