Freak Lightning Strike That Crumpled 5 Soccer Players Caught on Camera
The deadly power of nature was on full display after a lightning strike brought three players to the ground at a youth soccer game.
The strike happened during a Jamaica soccer game between two rival schools Monday afternoon, island outlet RJR News reported.
In the course of the match, a lightning strike brought five players to the ground.
Three of those youth were rushed to the hospital but were later released.
Video taken during the lightning strike shows several of the boys grabbing their eyes and sinking to the ground. Some complained of eye pain after the searing bolt struck just feet away.
A pair of youth soccer players in Jamaica were hospitalized after being struck by lightning during a match in Kingston.
A third player was also hurt. Everyone involved is now recovering. https://t.co/Sjdi8mjw6V pic.twitter.com/HVCR1NMo67
— ABC News (@ABC) September 19, 2019
While it doesn’t appear the lightning struck any players directly, that doesn’t need to happen for the strike to still hit people with deadly energy.
The National Weather Service operates a page dedicated to different forms of lightning strikes, with some revealing information.
Besides a direct strike, there is a side flash, ground current and conduction.
A side flash occurs when lightning travels from an object to a person — this is why experts advise you to stay well away from trees in a thunderstorm. Electricity can arc from the tree with deadly results.
Even when not directly under a tree, sometimes you still aren’t safe.
Ground currents can shock bystanders even if they think they’re well away from tall objects.
“Because the ground current affects a much larger area than the other causes of lightning casualties, the ground current causes the most lightning deaths and injuries,” the NWS says.
Conduction is when the lightning “rides” a metal wire or structure before coming into contact with a person. This can affect people in garages as well as indoors.
In 2019 alone, 17 people have died so far in the United States from lightning strikes, according to the NWS.
While these Jamaican boys were lucky to walk away with temporary eye pain, not everyone is so lucky. During a thunderstorm, it’s always safest to seek shelter and stay away from anything that can conduct lightning.
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