I want to share my story with you. I was struck by lightning while fishing on September 10th.
As a bass fishing sportsman, I have had the delight of fishing in many bass tournaments in central Florida. I have always had fishing in my blood, starting as a young child. Fishing has always been more than a sport to me; it's been a way to relieve stress from our everyday lives.
My story starts on September 10th, a Friday night, as my partner and I usually set out for an evening of fishing at a nearby lake. Brian (my fishing partner) and I have been on the lake when the typical thunderstorms move through the Orlando area. We both have always had a deep respect for lightning, and, as with most sportsmen, we know when it's best to hit the barn and be safe.
Brian and I were at the lake that night for about a half-hour when a storm started to move toward us. The skies began to get that purple glow, and a mist of rain had started. I told Brian that we needed to stay close to my van since we were fishing on the bank of a canal that fed the lake that night. We both commented that we didn't want to get fried like a fish.
As the storm got closer, so did the lightning. I told Brian it was time to go, and I walked past him on my way back to the van to stow away my gear. Brian, being the die-hard fisherman he is, just wanted one more cast. I grabbed my graphite rod and walked back to the canal's edge to get one more cast before leaving. Just as I cast my worm to the other side of the canal, lightning hit me.
As it happened, I knew what was happening but could only think about my family and kids at home.
I lay at the canal's edge, waiting for Brian to help me, which seemed like forever. The lake bordered the airport in Orlando, and Brian started running to a nearby hangar to call for help. I could only wait, as I couldn't feel my legs, and my arms wouldn't work. I was sure that I wouldn't make it out of the field alive. The thoughts that run through your head are so unreal.
Help did come, and so did the storm. The storm was in full force when the fire rescue showed up. Lightning and thunder filled the skies, and it was raining so hard you couldn't see the other side of the canal twenty feet away. I remember the firemen said they would be the next victims if they didn't get me out soon. News that the hospital helicopter could not make it to the site because of the weather made me realize the severity of the situation.
I did make it to the hospital and spent thirty days in the intensive care burn unit. My body was covered with burns over sixty percent of my body. Anyone who has ever been burned and has had to endure the scrub rooms and the treatment given to heal such severe burns can understand what I went through. As for others who can only imagine.....you can't. I had two sets of surgery and skin grafts to repair the damage to my legs.
While in the hospital, I was given the standard titles...FLASH.......SUPERMAN and my wife's favorite, SPARKY. It's OK with me. I call myself names too. I'm now in physical therapy to help me regain the use of my legs. I'm glad to say I have made significant progress during therapy. The physical damage is almost gone, but the mental damage will take longer to overcome.
I now need to inform as many people as I can. I have learned a lesson that doesn't need to be repeated.
We all have spent time on the water and know that sometimes, no matter how bad the weather gets, we have fished in lightning and severe storms.
I live next to a park that has a lake in it. The Florida Fish and Game Department, which welcomes school field trips, controls this lake. They teach the kids what a game warden does to maintain the quality of the lake and fishing. They also teach you to catch and release principles and allow the kids a few hours to fish the lake (bait and gear supplied).
I have had the great pleasure of attending these classes and sharing my story. These kids are magnets for knowledge. You show them what lightning does and explain the 30-30 rule, and they will remember it into adulthood. These kids can hold my now "real lightning rod" and see the damage, ask questions, and get some answers firsthand.
I have also made trips to my children's schools during their "Parents Occupational" classes. They also walked home with a new understanding and appreciation for lightning.
You don't have to be on the lake to get hit by lightning. You can be in your yard, on a bike, or the playground. But, it will still find you if you don't follow simple rules like the 30-30 rule. This rule states that if you see lightning and can hear the boom before the count of 30, the next place that lightning could hit is right where you're standing. And don't go back outside until 30 minutes after the last lightning strike.
I hope you keep this information in the back of your head. Then, next time you're on the water with a storm approaching, you'll think, "Is it worth one more cast"?
