A Chinese man can consider himself extremely lucky to be alive after being struck by lightning twice in less than five minutes.
The chances of a person being struck by lightning during their lifetime are about 1-in-15,300, which is much lower than it seems, but the chances of getting struck by lightning twice are significantly lower.
There is a reason why they say lightning never strikes in the same place twice, And yet, sometimes incredible things happen, like a person getting struck by lightning twice in just 5 minutes.
Liu Nan was outside his home in Zunyi, China’s Guizhou Province during a thunderstorm last month, when he saw a white light before losing consciousness and falling to the ground. He barely had time to register what had happened when he saw the bright light again and once again got knocked out.
When he miraculously woke up the second time, Liu saw his wife and children overwhelmed by fear as he lay on the ground. He knew he had been struck by lightning, and he immediately called for an ambulance. The middle-aged man was taken to a local hospital where doctors confirmed that he had been struck by lightning not once but twice. He exhibited third-degree burns on his feet, waist and buttocks.
“I was knocked out immediately at the time, and it took a few moments for me to wake up,” Liu said. “Then the light came again, and the lightning struck down as I was lying on the ground. Although I was aware of being electrocuted, I didn’t know that the entire ground was also electrified.”
Lightning strikes usually cause severe damage to the victim’s skin, and Liu Nan’s case was no different. It left him with third-degree burns that he is still struggling with. About a month after his miraculous survival, the Chinese man’s burn wounds still have not healed Luckily, his condition is now stable and can consider himself lucky to be alive.