lightning protection

[quarterback]

jonas- Hi. Guess what, the other day I had a referral to see a patient struck by lightning He lived to tell the tale: He was having a bad round of golf with some buddies in a GC in Cavite. It started to rain and he heard thunder. He asked his caddie where the nearest shelter would be. She said it was two holes away. He decided to seek shelter beside a tall coconut tree with an umbrella in his right hand and a golf club in his left. There was a flash of light, then...BOOM He was thrown a few feet by the blast He did not lose consciousness, but suffered electrical burns. He was rushed to a clinic where his wounds were cleaned and stitched. He had a 1.5cm entry wound on his right palm and two 1.5cm exit wounds on his left palm. The jolt of electricity traversed his body from one hand to the next The wound edges were a little singed, but except for these and some swelling and numbness the patient was ok. I told him that he was extremely lucky to be alive.

Moral of the story: When you hear thunder and see lightning, stop play and seek shelter immediately. Do not stand in the open or near trees. Do not hold an umbrella nor a club.

I tell you this tale because you may not be as lucky as this patient. Learn from this patient's mishap.

I am now wondering if the massive jolt of electricity 'recharged' his game. The next few rounds will reveal if his handicap increased or decreased...

His biggest mistake......was to be under the tree(any tree) in a lightning storm. This is a no-no in such a situation. The umbrella is nothing (nor a car, etc.), but the tree.........

I completely agree. Lightning travels the shortest distance to the ground. This is the reason why lightning arresters are installed in roof deck of buildings. In an open field, trees are the highest structure......I've read a lot of stories about farmers being struck by lightning. The obvious reason is that when it rains, they take shelter under the nearest tree.