Man Struck By Lightning 6 Times In Last 35 Years

[matcom]

<snip>

Roy Ritenour had a history with lightning--and other such calamities--long before a nasty thunderstorm hit his southern Fauquier farm last week.

He says he's been struck six times in 35 years. The most recent one happened this spring, when a ball of lightning rolled through the farmhouse's family room and popped him as he sat in his leather recliner.

Strikes also have hit his property. One burned up the siding on the pale-yellow home soon after he put it up, and another struck one of his cows in a neighbor's field.

But none of those came close to the damage caused by Thursday night's storm.

A lightning bolt killed seven pregnant cows in the pasture behind his Sumerduck home, as well as a purebred black Angus bull Ritenour called "his prize."

"It was a shock," the 74-year-old cattle farmer said. "I've got a good heart, I guess. I must, because it was a shock to see."


http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2004/082004/08232004/1474467

[Deja Q]

1. So that's why Burger King is hyping up their new Angus diet!

They have to get the fried cow meat to sell! :puke:

In all seriousness, I feel sorry for that guy and his house and livestock. That's got to be hard to witness (yet alone feel firsthand!)

:wow:

[MadHound]

2. I can relate

I've got this thing with tornadoes, been through nine in my lifetime. Luckily the damage has always been minimal, but still a pain. I've always felt sorry for my neighbors, they've had no clue that they're living next to a tornadoe magnet.

[Robb]

3. Sad story, but did he have to say

"It was a shock"?!?

The ball of lightning rolling through the house seems a little spurious, but I know people who live their lives exposed to strikes (ranchers, farmers, SAR people) do get hit quite a bit.

[Surf Cowboy]

4. I knew a girl in High School who got hit 3 times,

all three in the same spot, walking from her house to her garage at the top of Catawba Mountain, in SW Virginia.

Poor girl. She was very pretty and extremely smart. After three shots of 275,000+ watts, she had a huge bald spot on her head, was no longer as smart as a whip, and had a twitch. A damn shame. Still probably smarter than GWB, though.

Rough shit. I've come damn close about a dozen times myself, as my hobbies always seem to get me close to it (mtn. climbing, mtn. biking, striper fishing from jetties). I've seen St. Elmos at the tip of my jetty rod, and I've had all the hair stand up a few times. Just lucky, thank God.

[Wcross]

5. I've been hit once and that was enough!

I was at a summer camp sitting at a picnic table with metal legs. I just happened to be sitting on a bolt. Lightning hit the tree that the table was next to. I was thrown about 10 feet and suffer a burn on my toe and buttocks. Never again (I hope!)