Firsthand Account of Being Struck by Lightning While Climbing
By Rocky Thompson on September 8th, 2010
A group of college students headed for the summit of Grand Teton ran into two storms. They’d checked the weather on the way and kept an eye out for storms even though the report called for only a 20% chance. Two rolled through in rapid succession, the second bringing fierce lightning that killed a climber in a different group. This group of four was struck several times, but they remained conscious and all survived.
“We never got the feeling we were safe,” he said. “The air was buzzing from electricity.”
Fifteen minutes later, lightning struck the group again. Walker looked over to find one of his fellow climbers on his back in pain.
“The look on his face was the most horrific thing I’ve ever seen.”
Walker said his friend later described the pain as feeling like “hot oil dripping down his back.”
Lightning struck the hikers several more times, and the group feared for the worst.
“I looked over and everybody else was writhing in pain and screaming,” Walker said. “We were fearing for our lives at that point.”
Read the rest of their account.
I think you’re just taunting us with that headline when you spell it correctly the rest of the article.
I’d begin fearing for the worst too if my entire group felt hot oil dripping down their backs several times over.