Udon farmer survives lightning strike - his dead mum saved him

[webfact]

Daily News Thai Caption: He escaped after lightning strike

 

Daily News reporters went to Naphoo sub-district in Phen, Udon Thani, NE Thailand after online reports that a man tending his buffaloes survived a lightning strike at a shack in the fields. 

 

There they met two female relatives by the name of Sawangjit and Pornthip who said they had found Anon Kongsuwan, 29, foaming at the mouth.

 

They helped him to Naphoo Hospital then he was transferred to Phen Hospital.

 

They were so happy he survived but everyone was calling it a miracle - five chickens under the shack all died from the lightning.

 

They would have a ceremony of thanks when he got out of hospital.

 

The reporters' next stop was Phen Hospital where they found Anon or "Tor" on a drip with bruising and marks from the strike. He still had a nasty headache.

 

Picture: Daily News

 

He said he had been about to feed grass to his animals when there was thunder and he ran to the safety of his shack turning off his phone.

 

He was knocked unconscious. His mum who died three years ago appeared in a dream and encouraged him to regain consciousness by shaking him awake.

 

He then turned on his phone and called his dad who came to help him.

 

His amulet also played a part in his survival as did the tattoos he'd received in Prachuap Khiri Khan when he went to cut sugar cane there aged 17.

 

He looked on his experience with mixed feelings - it was bad luck to be hit by lightning but a miracle to survive.

 

But it was  a shame about the chickens. 

 

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[Iamfalang]

Amulet of Thor!!!!  

 

Before we all make fun (oops, I did already), I'm sure that book with the cross on it tells some stories that are a little far-fetched.    

[toofarnorth]

11 minutes ago, Iamfalang said:

Amulet of Thor!!!!  

 

Before we all make fun (oops, I did already), I'm sure that book with the cross on it tells some stories that are a little far-fetched.    

The picture of his dwellings reminded me of Daniel v 7 .  My shack , your shack and a bungalow . Look it up.

[Reposed]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

They would have a ceremony of thanks when he got out of hospital.

 

...at which the main course will be fried chicken.....

[300sd]

The tattoos actually saved him:)

[Tropposurfer]

I saw a guy struck directly by a huge bolt on a golf course on Oz once ... he lit up glowed like a Christmas tree light ... it broke most of the bones in his body instantly and killed him outright ... toes and soles of his golf shoes blown right off, finger ends and toes black and melted ... gruesome ????

Never go near structures in a lighting storm, keep away from any electrical things, sitting in car with windows shut and don't touch door handles is a safe place (the rubber tyres will save you), and keep away from and don't touch or sit in or under metal things (like tin shacks!), never shelter under trees, take off watches etc, lay down flat on the ground and hope / pray.

Edited July 9, 2022 by Tropposurfer

[mikeymike100]

39 minutes ago, Tropposurfer said:

I saw a guy struck directly by a huge bolt on a golf course on Oz once ... he lit up glowed like a Christmas tree light ... it broke most of the bones in his body instantly and killed him outright ... toes and soles of his golf shoes blown right off, finger ends and toes black and melted ... gruesome ????

Never go near structures in a lighting storm, keep away from any electrical things, sitting in car with windows shut and don't touch door handles is a safe place (the rubber tyres will save you), and keep away from and don't touch or sit in or under metal things (like tin shacks!), never shelter under trees, take off watches etc, lay down flat on the ground and hope / pray.

You are correct about a car, but its not the tires that save you, its a misconception.

it’s the car’s metal cage that protects the occupants, not the tires.

Cars are safe from lightning because of the metal cage surrounding the people inside the vehicle. This may sound counter-intuitive because metal is a good conductor of electricity, but the metal cage of a car directs the lightning charge around the vehicle occupants and safely into the ground. The car essentially becomes a Faraday cage and protects anyone inside.

 

[bbko]

1 hour ago, Tropposurfer said:

Never go near structures in a lighting storm, keep away from any electrical things, sitting in car with windows shut and don't touch door handles is a safe place (the rubber tyres will save you), and keep away from and don't touch or sit in or under metal things (like tin shacks!), never shelter under trees, take off watches etc, lay down flat on the ground and hope / pray.

Also never stand in large puddles of water when a thunderstorm is overhead/near. 

I leaned the hard way many years back when I first moved into our home and a fierce thunder/lighting storm was nearby,  the drain holes in the garden wall were blocked up and I needed to run out in the rain to clean the drain holes as water was quickly backing up.  I was in ankle deep water when lighting struck somewhere nearby electrifying the water around around me,  I felt electricity run up my legs. I quickly ran back inside where my legs were numb for 30-45 minutes.  

[RichardColeman]

Be fair, the family was asking for it with metal roofs !

[hotchilli]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

His amulet also played a part in his survival as did the tattoos he'd received in Prachuap Khiri Khan when he went to cut sugar cane there aged 17.

Of course...

[rickudon]

I always wondered why they said do not stand under trees - after all the lightning strikes the tree, not you (usually). The one day in Australia i was sent to recover a car which had got bogged down avoiding a fallen tree. The tree had been struck by lightning, and the trunk had exploded nearly chopping the tree in half. I found wood splinters up to 15 cm long embedded in the ground up to 10 metres away.

 

I now avoid trees in a thunder storm.

 

In Thailand, home was struck by lightning once - ear shattering and did cause a small fire - more interesting was the 2 'bullet holes' it blew in opposite sides of a large concrete water jar.