Football team struck by lightning at practice
GRAPELAND, Texas — Lightning struck a high school football team that was finishing up practice, leaving at least one player badly injured and others hospitalized.
About 40 players and coaches with the Grapeland High School football team in East Texas were injured when the strike occurred Tuesday evening, authorities said.
"One witness said they saw a flash, heard a boom, looked up and saw football players scattered on the ground," Police Chief Roger Dickey told the Tyler Morning Telegraph. "It is a sad day here in Grapeland."
The player struck by lightning was flown to the burn unit at Memorial Hermann hospital in Houston, where he was admitted in critical condition, officials said. The condition of another player, who was flown to East Texas Medical Center in Tyler, was described as fair Wednesday, hospital spokeswoman Rebecca Berkley said. He was expected to go home Wednesday.
About 30 other players were treated at East Texas Medical Center in Crockett, including 12 who were kept overnight in good condition, Berkley said. Most were expected to be sent home Wednesday.
"It was just a freak thing," Superintendent Buddy Sumrall told The Associated Press. "It started raining, and they were getting ready to go in. They hadn't even seen any lightning, and one bolt hit the field."
Assistant football coach Jerry Richards said about 40 players were running sprints in a group when the bolt struck one player in the middle of the pack and others hit the ground.
"It staggered everybody," he said. "The force of it either knocked you down or knocked you backward several feet."
Must be a gubmint plot to put us at the behest of one worlders..
:-)