Daniel Sharkey, 17, was helping a neighbor with yard work and was rushing to finish up.
A storm was brewing in the sky over central Florida, the lightning capital of the United States.
“I was trimming and the next thing I know I woke up and I was on the ground,” Sharkey said. “I was trying to scream but unable to.”
He was hit by an indirect lightning strike.
The lightning bolt hit a nearby tree, and then traveled through the roots and the ground, knocking Sharkey off his feet and leaving him unconscious for a moment.
“I was lucky that I didn’t take it directly,” he said.
Ninety percent of lightning strikes are not fatal but can leave lasting injuries.
Sharkey said he can still feel the impacts of the strike.
“My chest hurts a bit. Everything just feels off,” he said.
As someone who enjoys volunteering in his community, he’s grateful to just be alive.
“I’m just happy that karma is a thing and it ended up on my side of the coin this time,” he said.
To keep safe when storms are near, Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Brian Monahan says if you hear thunder you need to get inside.
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