Pokemon Go luring players to dangerous spots

A rumor is sending people to dangerous places to try and catch elusive Pokemon with the extremely popular new smartphone game Pokemon Go.

“There are rumors out there that say, ‘Hey, go near substations’ power lines, transformers to find them.’ And that’s really not safe for people to do,” Courtney Linville, communication coordinator for Central Electric Cooperative in Bend, said Thursday.

Nationwide, many people believe they can find rare electric Pokemon in high voltage areas.

“Well, first of all, we have our lovely fence. So really, the fence is a deterrent in itself. We don’t want people climbing up and over to get there, and we have the wiring,” Linville said.

“Inadvertently touching something — you don’t know what you’re doing in there, you can have some serious injuries,” Linville said.

In fact, even employees with CEC wear heavy shirts, pants and hard hats to protect them from the possibility of electrocution.

But people wandering into power substations aren’t the only problem.

“Other concerns are that obviously we want people to make sure they respect private property rights,” said Deschutes County Sheriff’s Sergeant Nathan Garibay. “And playing Pokemon Go doesn’t absolve you from responsibility to know where you’re at and make sure you have the right to be where you’re at.”

According to RankedBoost.com, the best place to find those grass Pokemon is in nature, in parks and grassy areas.

What about water Pokemon? You can find them at parks, wetlands, rivers and streams.

And for those elusive electric Pokemon, look in cities and on college campuses.

Which all coincides with the nice little warning Pokemon Go provides, right when you launch the app.

Make sure you take care and be aware — and be in the know before you Pokemon Go.