On a hot summer day, stormy weather in southern Colorado ruined a hike for Zach O’Neal, 15, and Ernie Elbert, 16. Lightning struck Zach as the pair walked down a mountain. The impact knocked him out, shredding his clothes and blowing off his shoes.
Ernie was close enough to suffer burns. Even so, he was able to do CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on Zach, who had stopped breathing. Both boys lived.
That’s pretty remarkable when you consider that each bolt packs enough electricity to run a 100-watt lightbulb for three months. Lightning kills about 100 people each year in the United States. Another 1,000 are injured.
