I'm phobic over lightning because of that reason. We were allstar players practicing and my dad was one of the coaches. Anyways this huge storm is rolling in and everyones starting to worry. My dads an idiot and made us stay out and practice. Finally lightning hit the outfield right between left field and center field, kids, parents, coachs, everyone just started running for cover. I was on shortstop so I was in the middle of it. Scared me so bad I don't ever play with lightning.

 

Our doctor told my uncle that lightning actually comes from the clouds to about 10-20 ft, then a bolt shoots up from the ground to complete the circuit.

You might find this interesting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=RLWIBrweSU8

 

Huh,,,, guess he knew a lil about it. He was a neurologist that specialized in electric shocks and lightning strike victims.

 

Huh,,,, guess he knew a lil about it. He was a neurologist that specialized in electric shocks and lightning strike victims.

Yup. When he said there was a bolt that came up from the ground to complete the circuit, he was talking about the "leaders". It looks like he really did know what he was talking about

 

Well guys, on the 23rd of this month, a 16 year old boy who goes to my old high school was struck by lightning, and he's currently in critical condition in the hospital.

http://www.vnews.com/06252012/9626720.htm

Though my mind hasn't really changed about how I want to die (get struck by lightning), I wanted to specify that I would not like to get struck by lightning and live. Just that it is how I would prefer to die.

This has to be one of the most twisted threads I've ever read

Anyway, whether you guys believe in a god or not, please say a short prayer for this kid. He needs all the help he possibly can get. Thanks.

 

@ DerStom8,You got lots of time to live.

 

@ DerStom8,You got lots of time to live.

I sure hope so Thanks Loosie.

 

If you want to know when you will die, facebook has an app for that.

 

I would like to die of a heart attack while blowing out the candles on my 105th birthday cake

 

Well guys, thought I should post the update that the kid who was struck by lightning passed away this afternoon. I figured since I mentioned it here, I should let you know.

Anyway, on with the thread.

 

Well, what's the update?

 

Well, what's the update?

It's all in the first sentence.

 

Sorry, I missed it.

 

Sounds like a good place to ask a question that has been bugging me for most of my life.

Bit of a story,but I'll try to keep it short.
When I was about 12 I spent most of my time in the woods at my uncle's farm.
One day my cousin and I where playing in the woods and a storm came up
Neither of us wanted to abandon our latest fort project,so we tried to wait it out.
It turned out to be a bad idea,storm over head and buckets of rain falling,we decided to make a run for it.
A quick 300 yard or so dash to the edge of the yard,soaked to the bone at this point.
Just as we reach the edge of the yard we see it,like providence ,there on the ground was a umbrella.
One of those clear vinyl jobs w/ lil yellow ducks on it and J shaped handle.
We both reached for it,pop'd it open and crowded under it,off we went running together in lock step.
It was maybe 20 yards to the porch from where we found the umbrella, so we was full speed.
Then,Bam! we where both on the ground,I sat up dazed,looked over and seen my cousin still laying there.
Think i experienced shell shock,as for a moment I had no idea what i was doing there,nothing.
Adrenaline pumping I scrambled over to him,soon as I put hands on him his eyes popped open and we where off.
Blasting through the door of the house,shaking all over,we both started sputtering to my uncle we had been hit by lightning.
His exact words where"you both would be dead".
The next day,like troopers we where, back outside to play in the mud.
There laying almost where we had 1st found it was the lil yellow rubber umbrella.
Only it wasn't so yellow anymore,at least not the top half,the yellow top cap was a disfigured blob,and the "skin" was melted 6 inches from the top.

Knowing what I know now,the shear power of lighting,and what appears to be a direct strike.
What possibilities exist to explain how a couple of scrawny kids where left more or less unharmed?
We where both soaked through,both holding the J shaped plastic handle and both running as fast as we could.

Sorry for the massive post,to me it's a experience that will always be be fresh in my mind.

 

For some reason that current blast didn't take the most expedient path from that umbrella to ground through your bodies. Or maybe it did, but then dissipated its lethality by just vaporizing some of the water in your clothes. Either way you dodged the bullet fer sure.

Why you weren't fried sunny side up on that day, I haven't the foggiest, but I imagine an experience like that would be enough to turn some survivors into religious believers.

 

good story, good writing.

 

For some reason that current blast didn't take the most expedient path from that umbrella to ground through your bodies. Or maybe it did, but then dissipated its lethality by just vaporizing some of the water in your clothes. Either way you dodged the bullet fer sure.

Why you weren't fried sunny side up on that day, I haven't the foggiest, but I imagine an experience like that would be enough to turn some survivors into religious believers.

The wet clothes theory makes a lot of sense,I had always thought of it as a negative.
A reason we should have died,but you are correct,it could have acted like a steel cage.
Draining all that current down to the wet ground via a more conductive route.
After all I wore back then was a button up flannel,jeans and cloth all star chucks.
Thin layer of water from the shaft to the handle,then drenched clothes down to wet grass contacting the fabric of my shoes.
Lightning must have vaporized the thin layer between our hands and the shaft or shoes and grass,or both.
Leaving us w/ only a strong static shock shared between our two masses..
Add to that the fact we where running,one leg down each kinda thing..
Yea i can see it.
Knew this was the right place to get a educated opinion,if only you knew how many people I've told the story to.
Trying to convince them not to play,work or generally disregard storms only to met w/ disbelief.
They always say the same line as my uncle said that day"you would be dead" or"messed up" .
My only response being"well I didn't and now I don't risk it" .

 

Usually lightning doesn't travel through the individual, but on the outside of the individual, leaving scars. A lot of people survive lightning, but "mourn" the bodies they lost, as there is usually severe nerve damage associated with a hit. Enough of the current travels inside to do serious damage to the body.

A common scene with a hit is scorched and shredded cloths though, as the bulk of the current follows the outside path. This is true of trees as people, you will see old oak trees with scorch marks on the outisde, occasionally the bark is blasted off.

 

Usually lightning doesn't travel through the individual, but on the outside of the individual, leaving scars. A lot of people survive lightning, but "mourn" the bodies they lost, as there is usually severe nerve damage associated with a hit. Enough of the current travels inside to do serious damage to the body.

A common scene with a hit is scorched and shredded cloths though, as the bulk of the current follows the outside path. This is true of trees as people, you will see old oak trees with scorch marks on the outisde, occasionally the bark is blasted off.

You know,I can't for the life of me remember any damage to my clothing.
This could be due to the fact my aunt made us both strip out of soppy clothing and into quilts.
To be 100% honest, I don't even remember a flash or a boom,just one second running next on the ground.
What I remember most vividly is the shear panic and confusion,it really is the the definition of gobsmacked.
So,do you think the soaked clothing theory is plausible?
Because I,after many years of thinking about it whilst watching T-Storms can come up w/ nothing better.
Things happen like this w/ no real plausible theory really does force on to consider divine intervention .
And for me,that's a big egg to swallow.

 

Yep, I have no problem with the soaked theory.

I think I mentioned it earlier in this thread, but I was out in a thunderstorm looking for twisters, when sky to sky lightning caused my umbrella to shock me. I may stupid sometimes, but I'm not totally dense. Time to go inside.

I've seen people knocked out who were not directly hit. They were 10-15 feet away from where a bolt hit the turf in a soccar match.