Las Vegas • Two boys who were struck by lightning on Tuesday have been taken off respirators, are breathing on their own and have been upgraded from critical to serious condition, hospital officials confirm.

Christopher Dane Zdunich, 16, and Alex Lambson, 17, have been nodding and blinking answers to questions throughout the night, and Dane, who goes by his middle name, gave a thumbs-up sign to his twin sister, Kendle.

“It’s just been miraculous that both these boys are recovering so well,” said Leslie Broderick, Dane’s mother.

Lambson’s parents wrote on a blog detailing the boys’ recovery that Thursday was a “great” day for their son.

“He is a little agitated and strong,” they wrote. “It’s the Alex we all know and love.”

The early test results for both Alex and Dane include positive results, said Danita Cohen, spokeswoman for University Medical Center in Las Vegas, where the boys are being treated.

The two were waiting for a ride after school in their usual spot under a pine tree Tuesday when they were struck. They were within yards of Snow Canyon High School, surrounded by dozens of other students.

The boys have been kept under heavy sedation, and doctors were keeping them artificially cooled to prevent swelling of their brains. MRI results Thursday morning indicated the boys’ brain activity was strong enough for them to be removed from respirators.

Dane’s kidneys are still working overtime to flush out enzymes produced by tissue damaged in the lightning strike. He has had fluid in his lungs since the strike, but that seems to be clearing, Broderick said.

Damage to muscle tissue, including the heart, is common, said Dr. Meena Vorha, head of pediatrics at the hospital, on Wednesday.

Most lightning-caused deaths and long-term injuries are caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain and other organs because most strikes occur in wilderness areas where medical care is slow to come. But those aren’t big concerns for Alex and Dane because school administrators immediately began CPR and medical crews arrived shortly afterward, doctors said.

Both boys have suffered severe burns: Dane on the bottom of his feet and Alex on about 15 percent of his body, mostly on his torso. He will likely need skin grafts.

The strike also broke some of Alex’s bones, which will take time to heal, Vorha said.

Accounts in the boys’ names have been set up at Zions Bank branches to help pay for medical expenses not covered by insurance.

Doctors are closely monitoring the boys’ progress.

Making sure the heart is pumping in the proper rhythm is important, said H. Scott Bjerke, director of trauma at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo. He said it is possible for the heart to stop again after the initial cardiac arrest.

Dane has been on heart medication to make sure that doesn’t happen, said his stepfather, Tim Broderick.

Also, victims of lightning strikes can have their eardrums ruptured, while cataracts may form in their eyes, Bjerke added.

Cataracts have been reported as late as two years after the strike, but most often it occurs within the first week of the event.

The long-term effects of lightning strikes are inconsistent and are still being researched.

via Teens hit by lightning are on the mend | The Salt Lake Tribune.

Pretoria – The summer’s first real highveld thunderstorm has claimed the life of a Midrand man.

Two men were hit by lightning in separate incidents in Midrand on Thursday afternoon.

The man who died sought shelter from the rain under a tree when he was struck by lightning.

The incident happened at about 16:45 where the man was handing out pamphlets.

Johannesburg emergency services spokesperson Percy Morokane said the man, who was in his twenties, was pronounced dead at the scene.

In the other incident, a man who is also in his 20s, was struck by lightning when he was busy loading goods onto a bakkie near the Allandale turnoff at about 17:00.

He was taken to the Carstenhof hospital in a serious but stable condition, said Chris Botha of Netcare 911.

Thunderstorm

The thunderstorm on Thursday afternoon moved over parts of Johannesburg, Pretoria and surrounding areas.

In Sandton and Fourways, it rained heavily for about half an hour and in Aukland Park, it rained for several minutes.

SA Weather Service forecaster Mark Todd said the thunderstorm developed early on Thursday afternoon between the Vaal River and Johannesburg and moved in a north-easterly direction.

“The Mpumalanga highveld also got a bit of rain but it is still too early to say how much,” said Todd.

On Friday and Saturday there is still a 30% chance of rain and thunderstorms in Gauteng.

Todd said, however, that the weather would pass quickly.

“We have issued a warning for a heatwave, which will lead to constant warm temperatures in Gauteng from Saturday to Tuesday.”

During this heatwave, the mercury could rise to 35ºC in Pretoria and 33ºC in Johannesburg.

By Wednesday, temperatures would begin falling and the chances for proper rain would increase.

“From Wednesday, the chances are looking up for proper, substantial rain,” he said.

via Lightning kills man during storm: News24: South Africa: News.

ST. GEORGE, Utah – Two St. George students remain in critical condition in a Las Vegas hospital after being struck by lightning Tuesday afternoon. One of the teens has apparently improved slightly, having regained consciousness briefly Tuesday evening, while the other young man is said to still be in a medically induced coma. The lightning strike happened at about 2:55 p.m. Tuesday while the St. George area was rocked by a series of powerful thunderstorms.

Alex Lambson’s parents say their son has been through a lot in the past 24 hours. They held a news conference in Las Vegas Wednesday outside the University Medical Center’s burn unit.

“He’s made some eye contact last night, so he’s aware that we’re here but at the moment he’s not awake,” said Lambson’s mother, Kaleen Talley.

Dane Zdunich and Alex Lambson, both 17, were standing under a tree outside Snow Canyon High School when the lightning struck. Resource officers rushed to the teens and performed CPR until paramedics arrived.

The teens were first taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center, but were then airlifted to University Medical Center in Las Vegas to receive care at the hospital’s burn unit.

The teens’ exact injuries are still unclear, but doctors say in cases like these cardiac arrest is a major concern.

“So the heart would stop, the breathing would stop or both. That is the most life-threatening cause and the leading cause of death in lightning strikes,” said Intermountain Medical Center Dr. Colin K. Grissom, MD.

Friends and fellow schoolmates were shocked by the news. Friends of the boys say they witnessed the lightning strike incident.

“We were seriously 10 or 15 feet away from the tree and we saw Dane and Alex,” said their friend, Megan Funk.

“We saw them lying on the ground, they looked dead, they looked dead to me,” said another friend, Stacy Benton. “We walked out over towards the tree and we just saw both of them laying on the ground and Alex had smoke rising from his stomach and we’re like holy crap, so we ran towards the school and said ‘call 911.’”

The teens had 2nd to 3rd degree burns over their bodies. They were put in medically induced comas, paralyzed with medicine so they do not get hurt moving around.

The Washington County School District spokesperson says the teen’s parents are asking the community for prayers.

via LIGHTNING STRIKE: Mother says teen struck by lightning briefly regained consciousness – KSTU.

BOSTON (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) – A Rockland man is in critical condition after being struck by lightning on Castle Island.

Steve O’Brien, 50, is in critical condition at Boston Medical Center.  His family tells us that he was taking his normal post-work walk around Castle Island when he was struck in the head by a bolt of lightning.

The bolt struck his head and exited his back, causing burns on several parts of his body.  Someone revived O’Brien, but the family is unsure who.

O’Brien lives in Rockland but was born in Southie.  His family tells us that he often walks around Castle Island after work.  They say he’s a great guy and  hard worker.  The family is holding vigil by his hospital bed.

via Man in critical condition after being struck by lightning.

RUSSELLVILLE, Ky. — A 16-year-old girl in Russellville, Ky., died Thursday morning after being struck by lightning, according to the Logan County Sheriff’s Department.

The girl, Mary Ella Leid, was digging for potatoes in an open field behind her house when she was struck.

The Logan County coroner pronounced her dead Thursday.

Thunderstorms affected southern Kentucky and Middle Tennessee for much of the day.

At 12:35 p.m., trees were blown down in Castalian Springs, Tenn., on Rock Springs Road in Sumner County. Trees were blown down at Berea Church Road and Coles Ferry in Lebanon, Tenn.

Large tree limbs were down on Wallace Lane, just west of Hillsboro Pike in Nashville. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across southern Dickson County.

Large trees were blow down on Baxter Road in Cookeville. Many trees and power lines were damaged across northern White County.

A tree blew down onto power lines in Summertown, Tenn., north of Lawrenceburg. Also, many trees down were on Polk Street in Tullahoma, Tenn.

via Ky. Girl Fatally Struck By Lightning – Nashville Weather News Story – WSMV Nashville.

CBS  Clayton Schulz told his worried mom nothing would happen when he was surfing — then something did. The 20-year-old pitcher for the University of North Florida was surfing with his girlfriend last Friday off Jacksonville Beach when a shark attacked his left foot. It took over 400 stitches to repair that damage. Pictures: Swimming with the Sharks On “The Early Show,” Schultz shared his story, saying first, hes pretty lucky to still have all five toes. He said hes lucky the shark reached his foot only. “Didnt even get into the ankle cavity,” he explained. “Tore all the flesh off, cut across the tendons, the four tendons across the top. Tore everything up, so it was pretty — you know, pretty — Im lucky to have a foot still.” The surgery took two doctors five-and-a-half hours to reattach everything except one tendon. Schulz, a surfer for eight years, said hes heard about shark attacks, but never imagined one coming after him. He said, “Sharks are always there, year-round, you see them jumping in the distance and stuff, but its never — you never think it would be you. Its such a rare — I mean, youre more likely to get struck by lightning, so its very rare. But you never think its going to be you.” Schulz explained he was surfing about 100 yards out when he caught a wave in to shore. Thats when he felt it: “All I really felt was teeth,” he said. “I dont remember everything exactly to the point, but — a lot of teeth.” He said he knew it was a shark. “I pretty much knew the way it grabbed my foot,” he said. “It was kind of violent. Didnt feel good.” After the shark let go, Schulz hauled himself onto his board, stunned. He said, “I told the others — there was another surfer there away from me and I yelled to him, I said, Man, I just got attacked by a shark, can you help me out here? He said, paddle in. I caught a wave in. He got the lifeguard. I crawled up on the beach, I waved at my girlfriend. She was laying there. I was like, Come on, I just got bit.” Jacksonville lifeguards ushered Schulz to an ambulance. As for the shark, Schulz said no one else saw it after his bite. Schulz said, “It went through my mind when I was paddling in, Is this thing following me? But, no, never saw it after that. You know, Im lucky. The surgeons did a great job. You know, when I first saw it after the surgery, it looks like a foot, still looks like a foot and it didnt look like a foot before.” The shark was so elusive, Schulz never even saw it — he only felt it. Schulz told “Early Show” co-anchor Erica Hill, “Never saw it. It was completely by surprise. You know, when you think shark, you think, you know, farther out than everybody else, but it was actually more in towards the shore. Thats why it really caught me off guard.” Will he surf again? “Yeah, I think I will,” Schulz said. “Its a scary thing, but the chance — if I get bitten twice, then — ” “Then you should look out for the lightning,” Hill joked. Schulz said, “Thats the sign I need to get out of the water.”

via Shark Attack Victim: “All I Felt Was Teeth” – The Early Show – CBS News.

July is the deadliest month for lightning strikes historically and July 2010 is proving no different.

A total of 21 people have been killed so far this year with 10 of those deaths this month alone.

Five people have been killed since Sunday, including a man struck down while riding a bike on Wednesday in Livingston County, Illinois.

All 21 lightning deaths have come since May 1st with 16 states recording at least 1 death including Georgia, Alabama, Connecticut, Louisiana, Missouri, Wyoming, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey, Maryland, Colorado, Texas and Arizona.

Georgia unfortunately, leads the nation with 3 recorded fatalities and all 3 deaths occurred in the Atlanta metro area.

While July is the deadliest month for lightning with an average of around 17 deaths per year, the summer months of June and August are considered to be just as deadly with both months averaging around 12 deaths per year, which brings us to lightning safety.

The lightning campaign that is being promoted is when thunder roars, go indoors and or if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

After reviewing the lightning fatalities thus far this year, that campaign while good, for the most part does not apply to typical summer thunderstorms.

Thunderstorms during the summer months are typically random in nature and can pop-up with little notice, meaning you may not even hear thunder before the first lightning strike occurs, which may happen right over your head.

This combined with the fact that more people spend time outdoors (sporting events, boating, swimming, mowing grass, etc), has contributed to most of the lightning deaths and injuries so far.

Some of the deaths reported from sudden thunderstorms include a 53 year old golfer in Tucson, Arizona, a 15 year old swimmer in Huntsville, Alabama, a 53 year old motorcyclist in Chaffee County, Colorado and a 40 year old man walking on St. Joe Beach, Florida.

These are all people who didn’t just ignore approaching lightning storms, but were caught off guard by pop-up random thunderstorms that developed near or over their area.

In the case of the recent Florida lightning death on Sunday, the man and his family saw signs of darkening clouds and began leaving the beach, when he was struck and killed.   There was no thunder before the deadly lightning strike occurred.

While recognizing the signs of developing thunderstorms are considered one of the tips for lightning safety, it should be the main safety tip, especially this time of year and it should be included into a new lightning campaign!!

Some signs of sudden developing thunderstorms include darkening and building cumulus clouds and a sudden shift or increase in winds.

Whether you want to or not, you must literally become a weather observer when there is a threat for thunderstorms on a day you have outdoor plans.

(NOTE: The United States averages around 57 lightning deaths per year)

via US lightning deaths rise to 21; lightning campaign does not fit most summer thunderstorms.

ANNAPOLIS — The Maryland Natural Resources Police say it appears that a lightning strike killed a 63-year-old Annapolis man who died Sunday while jet skiing on the Chesapeake Bay, just south of the Bay Bridge.

NRP says it appears the man, Warren Douglas Smith, was racing back to port because of a thunderstorm. Investigators say it appears Smith was not struck directly by lightning, but was electrocuted by a nearby strike.

Another jet ski rider, 65-year-old Elmer Sappington of Severn, was about 75 to 100 feet from Smith, but was not harmed by the lightning strike.

NRP reminds boaters that summer thunderstorms are common and frequently occur during the late evening hours. Lightning can strike over ten miles away from heavy rain and storms.

Anyone caught on the water during a thunderstorm should move to land and seek shelter immediately. As a matter of practice, boaters should review the weather forecast before leaving the dock and plan trips accordingly.

via MARYLAND: Lightning strike blamed in jet ski rider’s death | delmarvanow.com | The Daily Times.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Maryland Natural Resources Police say lightning killed an Annapolis man caught on a personal watercraft during a thunderstorm near the Bay Bridge.

Officials say 63-year-old Warren Douglas Smith and another man were riding two personal watercraft Sunday evening a half-mile south of the bay Bridge when a storm blew in. Smith was pronounced dead at Anne Arundel Medical Center.

Natural Resources Police say a preliminary autopsy determined Smith died of electrocution. Investigators believe he was not hit directly by lightning but electrocuted by a nearby strike. Smith’s companion, 65-year-old Elmer Sappington, was 75 to 100 feet away on another watercraft but was not harmed.

A final autopsy is expected to be conducted in the next month.

via Maryland Storm Death Attributed to Lightning, | WJTV.com.

WALPOLE ISLAND, Ontario – Police are investigating the death of a Northeast Ohio man, who they suspect was killed by lightning.

The 41-year-old Ravenna resident was out on his boat with friends and family on the south end Bassett Channel Friday afternoon.

Walpole Island Police say when the storm moved in, people on the boat tried to seek shelter in some reeds.

According to witnesses on the boat, they heard a loud crack and saw a bright flash.

Immediately after lightning struck, they found the victim lying on the deck unresponsive.

Shortly after 2:00 p.m. Friday, a 911 call was made and the Coast Guard was able to locate the boat and get it to shore.

An autopsy is scheduled for later today. The name of the victim is not being released until family is notified.

via Northeast Ohio Man Killed by Lightning in Canada – WJW.