A Ring doorbell camera captured the moment lightning struck a Florida teenager who was working in his yard on Monday evening, FOX 35 reported.
Daniel Sharkey, a 17-year-old who owns a lawn-mowing company, was reportedly mowing a neighbor's yard as the storm approached and suddenly a nearby tree was struck by lightning. Fox 35.
Sharkey told FOX35 he believes it was the tree that saved his life. (RELATED: Video captures the moment lightning strikes family at beach, leaving 12-year-old girl unconscious)
A Seminole County teenager was struck by lightning but is lucky to survive. The lightning struck a nearby tree, killing Daniel Sharkey, who was doing yard work for a neighbor. He survived but is still recovering in an Orlando hospital. Fox Orlando https://t.co/V4Z7Xonsik
— Amy Kaufeldt FOX 35 (@Fox35Amy) July 17, 2024
“The fire hit the tree directly,” Sharkey, who is recovering at Orlando Regional Medical Center, told the outlet. “If it had been a direct hit, I wouldn't be here right now. We were lucky the tree was there.”
Ring doorbell footage shows Sharkey lying motionless on the ground while neighbors run towards him.
“I couldn't move my limbs at all. It felt like static electricity. My hands and arms were numb, everything was tingling,” Sharkey said.
Sharkey told FOX35 he realized the storm was approaching but thought he had plenty of time to finish work before heading back inside.
“I could see the storm coming and there was thunder and lightning so I thought we still had time,” he said. “When there's thunder the sirens go off so I was confident we'd be able to get the job done, but they hadn't gone off yet.”
Trauma and burn surgeon Chadwick Smith told FOX35 that being struck by lightning can have serious consequences.
“It can be fatal. It can cause arrhythmias that require defibrillation. It can cause neurological damage, burns and vision problems down the line,” Smith said.
Sharkey's parents will be by his side throughout his recovery, and he says he plans to return to work when he's able to.
“It was pure chance. The chances of being struck by lightning are one in a million, so it's not a 100% chance of survival. Luckily the tree was there and I'm lucky to be alive,” he said.
