Current:Home > MarketsFlorida teenager survives 'instantaneous' lightning strike: Reports-InfoLens
Florida teenager survives 'instantaneous' lightning strike: Reports
View Date:2024-12-23 14:20:21
A Florida teenager defied the odds twice on Monday by not only being struck by lightning during a storm but also surviving the near-lethal occurrence, according to multiple reports.
Daniel Sharkey, 17, was finishing up weed-whacking his neighbor’s yard in Altamonte Springs, Florida, so he could dodge the storm that was approaching, the teenager told WESH from his hospital bed.
"I was trying to finish up. I was about to head back to my truck, and suddenly, I woke up face down in a puddle," Sharkey said, per the Daytona Beach, Florida-based TV station.
The lightning strike "came straight through a tree," Sharkley said, per ClickOrlando.
Once Sharkey was struck, he said neighbors came over and helped him off the ground, according to WESH.
"There was no warning," the teenager said about the lightning strike, per the TV station. "There was no 'get out of the way.' It was just instantaneous."
USA TODAY attempted to contact Sharkey but was unsuccessful.
'I am lucky'
Sharkey may have only survived because the lightning didn't strike him directly, but it was close enough to make the teenager fall, witnesses told WESH. The tree near him was not so lucky as it took the brunt of the lightning strike, FOX 5 reported.
"If it was a direct hit, I probably wouldn’t be here today. I am lucky that tree was there," he told FOX 5.
Sharkey was taken to the Orlando Regional Medical Center where his family and friends remain by his side as he recovers.
“You never expect something as crazy as a lightning strike,” Sharkey told ClickOrlando. "When I first came to, I thought I might have passed out from the heat or something, but then I was like, ‘Things don’t line up. Everything hurts.’ I couldn’t really feel my extremities at that time. I couldn’t talk.”
Once released from the hospital, Sharkey said he plans to cut some more yards to earn extra summer cash.
"I mean, I’ve got 20 people that expect their grass cut, and if not there, I’m sure I’ll have a lot of annoyed customers," he said, per WESH.
What were the odds of Sharkey being struck by lightning?
The odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are less than one in a million, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Although the odds of being hit are slim, about 40 million lightning strikes hit the ground in the U.S. each year, the CDC said. Being struck multiple times is even rarer as the record remains at seven times in one lifetime, the public health agency added.
Florida is considered the "lightning capital" of the U.S., with more than 2,000 lightning injuries over the past 50 years, according to the CDC.
From 2006 through 2021, there were 444 people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S., the CDC said. Men are four times more likely than women to be struck by lightning, the agency added.
The average age of an individual struck by lightning is 37 years, according to the CDC.
veryGood! (274)
Related
- Republican Gabe Evans ousts Democratic US Rep. Yadira Caraveo in Colorado
- Amazon Prime Day deals are almost here. Should you take advantage of them?
- Kate Middleton and Princess Charlotte Ace Wimbledon 2024 During Rare Public Outing
- What to know about legal battles on details of abortion rights ballot measures across US
- Lee Zeldin, Trump’s EPA Pick, Brings a Moderate Face to a Radical Game Plan
- Shannen Doherty, ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ star, dies at 53
- A timeline of the assassination attempt on former President Trump
- Benches clear as tensions in reawakened Yankees-Orioles rivalry boil over
- What Republicans are saying about Matt Gaetz’s nomination for attorney general
- Ruth Westheimer, America's pioneering sex therapist known as Dr. Ruth, dies at 96
Ranking
- The charming Russian scene-stealers of 'Anora' are also real-life best friends
- Bubba, a 375-pound sea turtle found wounded in Florida, released into Atlantic Ocean
- Spoilers! How Nicolas Cage's mom inspired his 'Longlegs' 'boogeyman'
- Princess Kate Middleton to attend Wimbledon final in rare public appearance: Reports
- Lou Donaldson, jazz saxophonist who blended many influences, dead at 98
- Shannen Doherty Dead at 53 After Cancer Battle
- Spoilers! How Nicolas Cage's mom inspired his 'Longlegs' 'boogeyman'
- Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco Reveal Who Said I Love You First in Cute Video
Recommendation
-
Tennessee suspect in dozens of rapes is convicted of producing images of child sex abuse
-
2024 Copa America highlights: Luis Suárez heroics help Uruguay seal win over Canada
-
Biden meets virtually with Congressional Hispanic Caucus members as he fights to stay in 2024 presidential race
-
The best quotes from Richard Simmons about life, love and weight loss
-
Taylor Swift touches down in Kansas City as Chiefs take on Denver Broncos
-
Shannen Doherty Dead at 53: Remembering Her Life and Legacy
-
Benches clear as tensions in reawakened Yankees-Orioles rivalry boil over
-
Prince William and Prince George Make Surprise Appearance at Euro 2024 Final