A Bessemer man was found dead Wednesday inside a fenced area of a mining property near Oak Grove.

The Jefferson County Coroner's Office identified the man as Ralph Henry Elliott. He was 47.

Sheriff's deputies responded about 12:30 p.m. to Seneca Coal Resources in the 8800 block of Oak Grove Mine Road. Elliott was unresponsive inside a gated power station and was pronounced dead on the scene.

Chief Deputy Randy Christian said Elliott was discovered by a family member after he failed to return home the night before. They said he had left home telling them he was going to look for scrap metal.

Wire cutters and pieces of copper wire were near his body, Christian said. "Evidence indicates that he was electrocuted while attempting to take copper wire from the power station,'' he said.

A conclusive cause of death is pending the results from Elliott's autopsy, which is scheduled for today.