17-Year-Old Struck by Lightning While Doing Yard Work for Neighbor

A 17-year-old was struck by lightning while doing yard work for a neighbor.

Ring camera footage captured Daniel Sharkey using a weed wacker and then showed him on the ground in pain moments later.

The lightning strike knocked out the Ring camera, which did not capture the bolt of lightning hitting the teen .

Neighbors ran to Sharkey's side.

Sharkey tells Inside Edition he is lucky to be alive.

"I've been better but I'm doing well for someone who got struck by lightning," Sharkey says. "I'm just very sore, my chest hurts, I have some moderate burns."

The teen spent three days in the hospital . The lightning bolt scorched a hole in the jacket he was wearing.

Working with a weed wacker during a storm is especially dangerous, as the metal on the tool can act as a lightning rod, as can any nearby trees.

John Elliot, WCBS TV meteorologist, has advice on how to avoid being struck by lightning.

"People can remember the 30/30 rule. What is the 30/30 rule? If you see a flash and you hear thunder within the next 30 seconds, which is quite a long time, I know, retreat to a safe place for about 30 minutes," Elliot says.

On average, 270 people are struck by lightning every year in the United States. Ten percent of those incidents are fatal. Six people have been killed by lightning in the U.S. this year.

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