On 5/31/2026 at 7:01 AM, fredwiggy said:

The current can pass through the phone and into him. It usually happens with cheap chargers, as the better ones convert AC into DC. High humidity can increase the shock.

As a non - electrician that explanation makes sense

Clearly a real tragedy

RIP to a young life lost far too soon

On 5/31/2026 at 1:28 PM, wil iam not said:

The whole idea of fuses, or Circuit Breakers as they are now known, are there to shut off the current if it exceeds the rating, 16amp, 30 amp, whatever. Obviously their's did not shut off the power, if they actually had any fitted, or any other safety stuff like Earth Leakage etc.

That is true for normal electrical faults, but lightning is a different beast.

A fuse or normal circuit breaker protects wiring from overcurrent, but it is not designed to guarantee personal protection from a lightning surge.

A Residual Current Device / Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker is better for shock protection, but even that may not stop the first instant of a lightning surge.

So a breaker not saving him does not prove much; a lightning-related surge can be faster and more violent than ordinary domestic protection is designed to handle.

But one thing is fairly certain: holding a phone connected to the mains while wet, barefoot, and grounded was not a good thing to do during a lightning storm.

It's feasable. Lightening spike hits the overhead mains cable and tracks through charger.
Absolutely nothing to do with radio waves.

On 5/31/2026 at 12:57 PM, FlorC said:

Inside his home ?

That is weird.

I think that poor Mr. Rung must have rung the wrong number .

On 5/31/2026 at 10:06 AM, wil iam not said:

I do not think the phone had anything to do with it, just bad luck.

Why would a phone attract lightning more than any other metal object in the house?

Possibly a wire connected to ground or AC power that lightening is looking for.

5 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Possibly a wire connected to ground or AC power that lightening is looking for.

is it actually possible for the huge amount of electricity unleashed in a lightning strike to travel up a flimsy phone charger cable ? Having seen the mess a lightning strike can make of a large mature tree i would imagine any cable would be vaporized instantly? however i am not an electrician, and I doubt many electricians are well versed in the behaviour of a direct lightning strike

Personally I would imagine a full blown lightning strike anywhere near would result in "consequences" with a good chance of loss of life from shock or burning regardless of flimsy cables.

17 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

i would imagine any cable would be vaporized instantly?

And the damage hence already done.

18 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

is it actually possible for the huge amount of electricity unleashed in a lightning strike to travel up a flimsy phone charger cable ? Having seen the mess a lightning strike can make of a large mature tree i would imagine any cable would be vaporized instantly? however i am not an electrician, and I doubt many electricians are well versed in the behaviour of a direct lightning strike

Personally I would imagine a full blown lightning strike anywhere near would result in "consequences" with a good chance of loss of life from shock or burning regardless of flimsy cables.

Humans are better conductors than trees where it passes through them into the ground, needing only a few Amperes to kill. The tree takes all of the strike and intense heat and explodes while the phone and charger can be bypassed with little or no damage as it enters the better conductor, the person. Humans are mostly water, a great conductor. Many people live because of this, the strike passing through or around the person and into the ground. Not fully up on this but the explanation is correct.