Boat srtuck by lightning

[micci_man]

Just heard on the Lake Seminole report that the tournament director Greg Warner and his wife were running back to the ramp, sunshine and no rain but a storm on both sides of the lake. Running 4k rpm's when lightning struck the boat in front of the steering wheel, knocked both of them out of the boat, burnt/melted the carpet, fried the motor and all gauges. When the wife came to she found Greg coughing up blood and she called for help. Both are doing well considering and lucky to be alive.

Y'all be careful out there with these storms around.

[bman]

That is scary... especially knowing some of the storms I've run through.
glad to hear they are ok!

[bbb]

We had a small shower come over us yesterday on Seminole. Not the first lightning/thunder til it went by us and got back over land. Then the light show began.

[big bend gyrene]

Ditto exactly what Bman said. Very thankful they both survived! Lifting prayers that they both fully recover.

[ced0412]

So much for thinking lighting won't strike a moving object...

[Sir reel]

If it had carpet, would it be correct to assume the hull was aluminum ? any less chance if the hull were glass ? Either one would have wiring running all over and the motor shaft in the water. I don't know the science involved... just throwing out some stuff I've wondered about in the past.

[charlie tuna]

The thing to remember about lightning is "it is unpredictable". Yes, a plastic boat might help, and yes, carpet is an insulator, but if the "potential" (strike voltage) is high enough these two items "may"(?) not make much difference. Lightning does not always follow the normal rules of "basic electricity". I believe the best advice for boaters is to get as low as possible to reduce yourself and/or your boat as a target.

[Harmsway]

Yeah, I sure learned my lesson back in '89 on Lake Pontchartrain. Holding her into the wind during a freak thunderstorm, 6 foot waves (at least).

That's when it happened. I remember thinking, "Damn! You really can't let go when you're getting electrocuted." I'm sitting there frozen in a paralyzed state holding onto the stainless steel helm for what seemed like a VERY long time, but was probably less than a second or two.

My eyes were locked, looking at my left forearm. I remember thinking, "If my arm start smoking, I'm dead." Then it let me go.

That's when I realized that I really did believe in God, because I meant it when I said, " Thank you God. Thank you God. Thank you God. . . ."

So I said to my buddy, who was sheltering in the hold, "Did you feel that?" "No," he said, "but I think we sprung a leak!"

Sprung a leak? I just got struck by lightning and I'm waiting for my heart to stop beating any second, and he's telling me that we sprung a leak? Is he serious?

My arms are numb, my knuckles and joints feel toasted, and I've got exit burns on my shins. Still, I figure I better check out this leak thing, so I go below.

Sure enough, I'm knee deep in water. I go to feeling around and come across a splintered hole in the hull. Tried to stuff a life jacket in it, but all I got in return was my hand caught in a torture trap; you know, the kind where you can push it in but you can't pull it out.

Somehow I managed to retrieve my hand without getting it too cut up. Tried the motor, it was fried.

My buddy, panicked by now, says, "What are we gonna do!?", and starts hollering over the side, " Mayday! Mayday!", as if anyone was within shouting distance.

I said, "I'll tell you what we're gonna do! We're going to start that 25-horse kicker motor and head our asses back to the hill. You drive and I'll bail."

Now, I'm not the biggest or the strongest guy in the world, but let me tell you, when your arms are numb from getting struck by lightning, and you're full of adrenaline (sinking boats will do that to you), you can bail a lot of water with a five-gallon bucket! For a looong time.

I'm barely keeping up, maybe losing a little ground, when we finally get back to the marina. Jump off the boat, run inside, tell them we're sinking, so could they please hoist us out of the water. They were happy to help, but the horse-laughing they gave us didn't make me feel any better.

So that's when I learned. . .

Never go out in conditions on purpose that you haven't already been in by accident before. :shock:

[Juan]

Scary story Will.. you're lucky to have survived that!

[SS-342]

Harmsway....What a story! Wow! That's how it happens sometimes. Two or three things team up togather and you are in serious problems. Either one of those problems would have been serious. You are one lucky man!

Did the lightening cause any damage to you hands or arms?

[tallykenj]

That's scary, Harmsway. I'm glad you pulled through it.

[robbankston]

Dang man. What a story!

[MudDucker]

Danged Harmsway, you are one lucky son of a gun!

Folks, lightning is way more powerful than most any other electrical force you are a likely to encounter. Thin wet carpet is very poor insulation. Lightning doesn't strike at an object, it strikes at a build up of energy, which can be sitting or moving. If it is lightning, I am either staying at the hill or heading for it ASAP!

[Harmsway]

Harmsway....Did the lightening cause any damage to you hands or arms?

Thankfully nothing permanent, 342. Finger joints were swollen and sore for a week or two.

That white streak in my hair made up for it; chicks did it.

[robbankston]

Harmsway....Did the lightening cause any damage to you hands or arms?

Thankfully nothing permanent, 342. Finger joints were swollen and sore for a week or two.

That white streak in my hair made up for it; chicks did it.

You the man Harms!