Don't use your iPod or mobile phone in a lightning storm. There have been various reports of teenagers suffering some extreme traumas due to the unwise use of such devices at the wrong times.
Castle Rock, Denver teenager Jason Bunch was wearing his when he was struck by lightning, according to local news reports.
The 17-year-old was zapped on Sunday afternoon, the Denver Post reports. The guy said he remembers the storm approaching and realising he had to get indoors. The next thing he recalls is lying in bed, bleeding from the ears and throwing up. He was later sent to hospital.
Bunch's burns track down from his ears to his right hip where he was carrying his iPod, the paper notes. The iPod had a hold bored into it and the earbuds were reduced to copper residue.
The teenager would probably have been caught by lightning anyway, but it's possible the iPod earphone cables may have saved his life, directing the current quickly away from his chest and, crucially, his heart. Not that anyone should rely on any music player to protect them from storm injuries - it's best to keep out of the weather.
Not so long ago, a 15-year-old British girl was struck by lightning while talking on her mobile phone in a London park. She suffered a burst eardrum and a cardiac arrest. Fortunately, she lived to tell the tale.
Story source:
reghardware.co.uk.
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