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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 24, 2007 13:49:15 GMT 12
A little over an hour ago, I was walking through town on the way to Mum's when a horrendous storm erupted. Thunder and lightning cracked around and the rain was very heavy and horizontal. I went from bone dry to saturated as I crossed Victoria Bridge (the High Level Bridge) from Leamington to Cambridge, mainly thanks to thoughtless Ford drivers who caused tidal waves of water by travelling too fast as I crossed, and was splashed up to above my knees!
On the other side of the bridge next to le Quesnoy Place, lightning struck a metal pole right in front of me (about 15 metres away) and the trees around it exploded like those in Band of Brothers being hit by shell bursts. In that same instant as bark and branches exploded off the trees, an arc from the strike hit my umbrella and then me, with electricity shooting up my right arm to my shoulder.
I have never been so frightened in my life - I was actually struck by bloody lightning!!
A roadworks guy who was working on the bridge was a few metres away from me and saw it all. He wanted to take me to the hospital or whatever, but amazingly apart from the fright, I was unharmed. No burns or heart attack or brown trousers.
Anyway, when i came to my senses I went straight to Countdown and bought a lotto ticket for Saturday.
I'm feeling rather lucky today. A few more steps towards that pole and I'd probably not be here now!
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Post by corsair67 on Sept 24, 2007 14:53:18 GMT 12
Geez, sounds like you're very lucky not to be severely injured, Dave.  Good luck with the Lotto ticket. ;D |
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Post by flyjoe180 on Sept 24, 2007 15:14:20 GMT 12
Crikey Dave, youre a lucky man. Unlucky for being hit like that, but lucky for getting away with no injury! As for those Ford drivers who splash pedestrians:  What are you going to do with your winnings when you win Lotto? |
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Post by stu on Sept 24, 2007 15:38:58 GMT 12
Ye Gods.
Go get that lotto ticket Dave, and given the odds of what just happened ... perhaps a Big Wednesday and Powerball as well.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2007 15:53:52 GMT 12
From now on you shall be known as "Lightning Dave"  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 24, 2007 16:40:11 GMT 12
Lightning Dave... I like it. Cheers Kerry! Mum and I just went down to the site so I could show her what occurred, and I took a few photos. Now that the solid rain had cleared I could see the extent of the damage and take some photos for posterity. Here's a photo of the place where I was walking, just on the far verge, ready to cross the paved Le Quesnoy Place street.  If you turn around on the spot I took that from you see this in the photo below. It's some sort of electrical junction box and the workman who witnessed it told me he saw the lightning strike the aerial pole sticking up.  It must have been a double-strike or the pole was hit by a big arc, because the Japanese Momo Fir tree behind was REALLY hit. This is the tree I saw explode with flames, bark and branches flying! See the results. Bark is spread everywhere.  This bit is over a foot long!    I got a bloody good whack of electricity up my arm, but had I been twenty paces further on, I'd not be typing this. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 24, 2007 16:51:00 GMT 12
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Post by mumbles on Sept 24, 2007 17:06:25 GMT 12
The strip of bark shows the path of the bolt as it traversed the tree. Both lucky and unlucky Dave. The closest I've ever been to a lightning strike is about 150M, that was plenty spectacular enough for me. If nothing else you have a great story to tell!  |
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Post by flyjoe180 on Sept 24, 2007 17:06:59 GMT 12
That is one very impressive strip off that tree!
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Post by Brett on Sept 24, 2007 17:25:18 GMT 12
Why is it that people suggest that when you narrowly avoid a nasty incident you should go and buy a lottery ticket?
I mean, it's not as if you go up to lottery winners and say "That's amazing, you should go and get involved in a really bad accident."
;D ;D
Glad to hear you are OK, Dave.
Cheers,
Brett
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Post by FlyNavy on Sept 24, 2007 19:27:58 GMT 12
Dave, Indestructible Dave,
Good to hear you have emerged unharmed from the lightning strike. If you feel any after effects later it may be worthwhile to see your doctor just in case - but if you feel fine, then great.
Phil.
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Post by Kereru on Sept 24, 2007 21:08:59 GMT 12
You were lucky Dave. There was a short feature on 60 minutes tonight TV3 about Lightning victims and not many make it to tell the tale. Can't find a link to it on their web site. Interesting and you have a first hand experience to share. I attended a course many years ago on safety with electricity and we were told never to be the tallest feature on a vacant area of land while lightning was eminent as it always looks for the shortest path to earth. The tallest feature at the time would cop the charge.
Colin
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Post by kiwichappers on Sept 25, 2007 2:48:59 GMT 12
I guess a whole new dimension to "Lucky Strike" has been added to the Homewood vocabulary!
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Post by beagle on Sept 25, 2007 6:16:21 GMT 12
someone said you were a bit of a bright spark
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Post by turboNZ on Sept 25, 2007 10:17:07 GMT 12
Wow !!!
A good tale to tell when you're an old man in a hospice !!!
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Post by corsair67 on Sept 25, 2007 13:48:23 GMT 12
Dave, looks like things could have been much worse....... (I had to substitute the "p" word with "willy" to get around the swear word cyber-nanny!) Biker's "willy" hit by lightning By staff writers | September 25, 2007. AN Croatian motorbike rider was knocked unconscious when lightning struck his "willy" during a roadside toilet break. Metro.co.uk reported Ante Djindjic, 29, escaped relatively unscathed from the incident, suffering only light burns to his chest and arms. He said: "I don't remember what happened. One minute I was taking a leak and the next thing I knew I was in hospital. "Doctors said the lightning went through my body and because I was wearing rubber boots it earthed itself through my "willy"." "Thankfully, the doctors said that there would be no lasting effects, and my "willy" will function normally eventually." That's just as long as lightning doesn't stike in the same place twice. |
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Post by turboNZ on Sept 25, 2007 14:19:21 GMT 12
ha ha that's a great story ;D ;D ;D
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Post by alanw on Sept 25, 2007 18:04:40 GMT 12
Dave, That is a once in a life time experience!!!! You are indeed lucky. If I remember my science/aka physics etc, lightning actually shoots from the ground up, obviously the tree acted as the conductor (explains the bark in pictures on tree). For the science minded, positve charges build up in the ground and negative in the sky, once the two reach similar proprtions you get the zap. Possibly the zap you received was some of the left over from that tree discharge (which to me would explain why you are still with us and happly so!!!!!) There may be those who are more in the know in the forum Very best regards :  Alan |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 25, 2007 19:46:15 GMT 12
Thanks for all the kind words chaps. All my mates and family have been thrilled and scared by the story.
I watched the 60 Minutes thing last night Colin. It wasn't till then that I realised just how bloody lucky I was. It chilled me to watch it, the same day!! I only flicked the channel by chance too.
There was more serious lightning overhead this afternoon. I normaly marvel at it and watch out the window, but today I just felt a little more timid than usual.
My sister is calling me Sparky now!
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Post by beagle on Sept 25, 2007 21:45:27 GMT 12
Hi sparky
any parts glow last night.
I supposse all the town grenies were out checking on the tree today.
when I first saw the tree, i thought it looked like it was split in 2 but that line it has made is quite straight.
Did you make the local paper.
you want to go on Mythbusters to reinact the scene.
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