Close calls with lightning

[bababooey]

A friend called and told me he was fishing at Sandy Hook earlier when a guy got killed by lightning. There were 4 people with him on the beach, think he said it was lot B.

They were coming off the beach because of the lightning, and one of the guys was struck and killed. The other people were close by, so they got residual electricity, and survived. Man that's scary, sad news. Condolences to the families, thoughts and prayers.

Could have been any one of us, guys. Be careful if going out in bad weather. Sometimes it pays to stay home, not worth it to get zapped. Anyone else over there when it happened?

[bababooey]

Here's njcom news feed:

1 killed, 9 injured in lightning strikes in N.J. and N.Y.

by Carly Rothman (crothman@starledger.com)/The Star-Ledger Sunday July 27, 2008, 8:32 PM


http://blog.nj.com/ledgerupdates_impact/2008/07/large_lightnin28.jpg

Joe Epstein/The Star-Ledger
The beach at Sandy Hook after three people were stuck by lightning in the area.

Lightning today shattered a serene summer afternoon, killing one person and hospitalizing four at the Jersey Shore, injuring five Long Island soccer players who sought shelter under a tree, and leaving more than 20,000 Garden State homes without power.
Nickel-sized hail pelted Monmouth, Camden, Gloucester and Cape May counties, and severe flooding was seen throughout New Jersey, the National Weather Service reported. The damaging winds and heavy rainfall capped three days of sweltering weather in New York and New Jersey, where temperatures ranged in the mid-90s.

"We had roads flooding that never really had problems before," Manalapan police Lt. Glenn Essner said of conditions in the Monmouth County township.

A noon lightning strike at Sandy Hook killed a 38-year-old Elizabeth man at the Gateway National Recreation Area, authorities said. The victim, whose identity was not released, was found dead by National Park Service officials on the southern end of the six-mile-long peninsula, spokesman Brian Feeney said.

Two of the man's four companions, identified only as a man and a woman in their 30s, also were struck and taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, authorities said. Further details on their conditions were not available tonight.

Feeney said swimming is not allowed at the beach where the three were struck, so no lifeguards were present. The beaches were quickly cleared after the strike, Feeney said.

The dangerous weather also forced the closure of Cape May beaches, said Lt. Terry Randolph of the Cape May Beach Patrol. A lifeguard was urging stragglers off the Colton Court beach when lightning struck around 1:15 p.m.

"We were just trying to get the people off the beach as fast as possible ... but there were some people taking their time," Randolph said. "He was just knocked down."

Randolph declined to release the lifeguard's name or age, but said he was treated and released at Cape Regional Medical Center and remained conscious throughout the incident.

A woman heading toward the promenade at Colton Court beach was struck around the same time as the lifeguard, said firefighter George Rea of the Cape May Fire Department.

The woman, who was holding an umbrella, sustained injuries to her hand and also was taken to Cape Regional, Rea said. Randolph said she was treated and released.

"Everybody wants to gather up their beach things before they go," Randolph said. "When we get in that mode, it's better to just leave everything on the beach and get off as quick as possible."

Three hours earlier, five men playing soccer at Cantiague Park in Hicksville, N.Y., sought shelter under a tree when the storm hit. Three were burned and the others complained of symptoms including shortness of breath after the tree was struck by lightning around 10:15 a.m., said Nassau County police officer Mary Verna.
All five men, who ranged in age from 24 to 38, were taken to Nassau University Medical Center. Verna said all five were in stable condition tonight.

Officials warned people not to take cover under trees during storms, saying they are prone to lightning strikes.

[bababooey]

APP feed:



July 28, 2008


Lightning strike kills man on Sandy Hook
By JENNIFER BRADSHAW
STAFF WRITER
Flash flooding, hailstones and deadly lightning strikes hit the Jersey Shore on Sunday in a whirlwind of storms that left one person dead, two injured, several cars underwater and many Monmouth County fairgoers soaking wet.

The man killed Sunday in a lightning strike on Sandy Hook was 38 years old and a resident of Elizabeth, National Parks spokesman Brian Feeney said.
Feeney declined to release the victim's name, pending notification of his next of kin.
The man, who was found dead at the scene, and two others who survived the strike were found by park rangers on Beach Area B around noon, after a 911 call from a beachgoer came in at 12:12 p.m.

The area is not a swimming beach, so no lifeguards were present at the time of the strike, but the three were on the sand and not in the water, he said.

Feeney said the two injured, a man and a woman believed to be in their 30s, were originally to be transported to Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, but were diverted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune.
Robert Cavanaugh, spokesman for Jersey Shore, said the conditions of both were stable, as of Sunday afternoon.

Feeney said all beaches at the park were closed after the accident as a precaution. Beaches will reopen on Tuesday, weather permitting.

[cracklepopper]

Just read about this. You can't ever predict where lightning will strike. Thoughts and prayers for the family. They released his name.



Officials identify lightning strike victim


The Associated Press

SANDY HOOK, N.J. - Authorities have released the name of a New Jersey man killed Sunday by a lightning strike on a beach.
Officials for the National Park Service say 38-year-old Pablo Garcia from Elizabeth died during the electrical storm that swept across the state Sunday afternoon.
National Park Service spokesman Brian Feeney says two other people with Garcia who were also struck are being released from Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neputne.
Two other people survived being struck by lightning Sunday on the Colton Court beach in Cape May.

[rockhopper]

Man that's sad, have to be careful out there, don't wanna mess with mother nature, rip.

[clamchucker]

A tragedy. He probably had no idea it would get that bad. Sometimes the summer lightning storms can sneak up on you in the matter of 15 minutes.

Some of you younger guys may not know that graphite rods can act as lightning rods. For that reason, never point them toward the sky when carrying if you feel lightning is coming. Always point them parallel to the sand. be careful, the next life lost could be yours.

[stormchaser]

RIP, thoughts and prayers. Another thing to add is if you are out on the beach, lightning is coming, and shelter is not close, do not run for something tall like a tree or tall building. Soccer players in NY were killed last weekend by hiding under the tree. Better to lay flat on the ground.

[strikezone31]

Lifeguard and little girl were also hit, when running off a beach. Both burned. Get undercover, when the sky turns dark before it starts.

[captnemo]

We're out inshore to offshore a lot, not much you can do about lightning but hunker down and pray. The guy getting killed at Sandy Hook made me think about the close calls I have had.

Once on the way home from the canyon, storm came up. Lightning hit near a lobster buoy about 1/4 mile away from us. That was close enough, we kept going as fast as we could with the size of the seas.

About 10 years ago, I was fishing at Island Beach, and a kid playing football got killed by lightning. Very sad, have learned from that never to try to second guess. Lightning is unpredictable, never know where it's going to hit. Better safe than sorry.

Anyone else ever come close to getting hit?

[bababooey]

About 10 years ago, I was fishing at Island Beach, and a kid playing football got killed by lightning. Very sad, have learned from that never to try to second guess. Lightning is unpredictable, never know where it's going to hit. Better safe than sorry.

Anyone else ever come close to getting hit?


I wasn't on that section when he got hit, but was at IBSP that day later on. I remember the ambulances and police cars, was a very sad day.

When I was a kid, we were playing pop warner football, the game got cancelled after the first quarter because the storm came in quick. As we were leaving, lightning hit a tree in the woods by the goalposts, scary chit!

[bunkerjoe4]

Here are some stats I found from the NOAA site, and the links. Take a look at them if you get a chance. It's surprising that many lightning deaths come when people are in the open, as opposed to a tree or some other object.

The bottom line is that you are not safe anywhere outdoors in a lightning storm, though your chances of survival are better if in certain areas than others. Please don't tempt fate with your life. Think of the pain and suffering that could come to be if your life was no longer connected to your loved ones, and they had to go on without you. No fish is worth it.http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon3.gif

From the site --


In 2006, there were 47 lightning fatalities, 9 more than the 2005 total of 38.
The 2006 number is above the 10-year average of 44 fatalities.

For the 8th consecutive year, Florida was hardest hit with 5 fatalities, but this year Colorado also numbered 5.

The most dangerous place yet again was in the open, with 16 (34%) deaths, down from 21 lightning victims in 2005.

The next most dangerous location was under a tree with 13 (28%)
deaths.
In 2006, more than four times as many males, 37 (77%), as females, 9 (21%), were killed by lightning.
Tragically, kids aged 10-19 accounted for the most losses with 13 (27%), followed by those in the 40-49 age
range, which accounted for 9 deaths (19%).

The link to the chart --

http://www.weather.gov/om/hazstats/light06.pdf


Here is another link for total weather fatalities --

http://www.weather.gov/om/hazstats.shtml

[voyager35]

We were coming back from a trip a few miles off. Lightning crashed about 1/4 mile behind us, we were right in the middle of a fast moving storm.

Good think we had a following sea that day, I had the boat moving as fast as I dared. Glad to get back to port.:scared:

[williehookem]

Can't begin to count the number of little league games cancelled due to lightning coming in fast.

Now being a fisherman, I am always aware of the weather.

[fishinmission78]

These two ladies almost got burned to a crisp yesterday in Point Pleasant. Be careful out there folks.
http://6abc.com/news/2-women-struck-by-lightning-on-point-pleasant-beach/1429867/

[jigfreak]

Heard about that.They are extremely lucky they didn't end up as french fries.