For some people, lightning can be absolutely terrifying – and for good reason! The chances are extremely slim, but if lightning strikes in your vicinity, the odds to be able to tell the story aren’t exactly in your favor – especially if it’s a direct hit.
A 12-year old boy from Posadas, Argentina had the scare of his life while playing in the middle of a storm.
The boy was playing in the heavy rain and was also carrying a metal umbrella above his head. It’s said that metal tends to attract lightning – but that is rather relative.
It’s true that the umbrella would increase the chance of the boy getting struck by lightning, but only if the lightning would strike in his direct vicinity, which was extremely unlikely.
However, even though the chances were slim – lightning decided to strike.
The terrifying moment was caught on video.
It’s absolute proof that you should always stay inside during a storm or when there’s a chance of lightning hitting the ground. It may speak for itself, but letting your child play outside during these turbulent weather situations isn’t exactly a great idea either.
Mom Carolina Kotur was understandably extremely shocked. The lightning bolt struck just seconds after she started filming. Apparently, the boy’s mom wanted to film him because he was “making a joke”. Unfortunately, mother nature wasn’t in the mood for comedy.
“My son was walking in the rain and I started filming because I was making a joke, and right next to him the lightning struck,” The Daily Mail reports. “Thank God, nothing happened to him.”
The boy survived the impact, although it’s unclear if he sustained any injuries.
Although the spectacular footage with bright flashes isn’t clear enough to be a hundred percent sure, it appears that the lightning struck a tree on the patio the boy was standing on and didn’t directly hit him. If it did – the chances of survival would be astronomically slim.
Science magazine Popular Science analyzed the video in question to the best of their abilities, and have concluded that the lightning was likely a negative electrostatic discharge – which is less powerful than positively charged ones but negative charges are accompanied by return lightning strokes.
The lightning bolt would be able to traverse over 50 feet of its surroundings, although in this case, the pool and the concrete likely hindered the bolt’s ability to travel further.
The mom decided to share the video to make sure others don’t make the same mistake, and wants to make people aware of global warming as well.
“While my son was playing, a lightning stroke in a backwoods tree. I tried to spread this video to make people realize that nature has changed a lot in these times due to global warming and you have to be more careful, both in a storm and also within your own house, because if the children had been watching TV or playing video games when the lightning stroke, it would have been deadly. All my electrical appliances burned,” she wrote.
Even though global warming is scientifically proven, the mom has been the subject of heavy criticism as the link with environmental change is weak, to say the least. Lightning storms have always occurred, regardless of the deteriorating global warming situation. Allowing your kids to play in the storm is never a good idea.
“This has nothing to do with global warming. It was stupid to let your son use the umbrella in a storm anyway. In general, don’t use an umbrella or anything metal during a storm. And again, global warming doesn’t generate more electricity… Lightning happens when clouds collide, and friction takes place, generating electricity. Another stupid thing was using your phone. It can also attract lightning. So stop blaming this on global warming, and admit that you are a bad parent for letting your kid play in a storm with an umbrella. It is like giving a toddler a fork and putting him infront of a plug,” one person commented.
In any case: it’s essential that you always remain careful during a storm and stay inside if possible. Forewarned is forearmed.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
