- Two people were struck by lightning and died on a beach in Michoacán, Mexico, on Monday
- Video footage showed a woman walking away from the water when she was struck by lightning, moments before the man was also injured
- The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, and the man was taken to the hospital, where he died
A hammock seller and a tourist died after being struck by lightning on a beach in the western Mexican state of Michoacán.
The man and woman can be seen in a video walking on the sand of Maruata Beach when they were struck by lightning on Monday afternoon.
It appears that the victim came out of the water when she was struck by lightning. He then shocked the male within one second.
The impact of the electric shock sent the beach worker and other swimmers running for their safety.
The female victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The man was transported to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
Aquila Mayor Jose Valencia revealed that the woman was a resident of the central state of Guanajuato. He also said that the man, who was selling hammocks on the beach, resided in the nearby state of Colima.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 40 million lightning strikes the ground in the United States each year.
Although the chances of being struck by lightning each year are less than one in a million, approximately 90 percent of victims survive.
The chances of a person being hit multiple times are much lower, as it happens seven times in a lifetime.
National Weather Service data shows that in 2023, 11 people were killed by lightning in the United States, including two people in separate boating and swimming incidents.
In comparison, 19 people died after being bombed last year, up from 11 in 2021.
The Federal Weather Service says there are five ways this can be done Lighting can strike people.
A direct hit occurs in open areas. Although it is not the most common, it can be the most deadly.
“In most direct hits, part of the current moves along and just above the surface of the skin (called a flashover) and part of the current moves through the body — usually through the cardiovascular and/or nervous system,” the National Weather Service explains.
A person can also receive a jolt from a lightning bolt from a side flash. Lightning tends to strike an object taller than the victim – for example a tree – and parts of the stream are transmitted from the object to the victim.
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