Lightning strikes twice for golfer

Ananova ^ | 5/16/03

[jalisco555]

A golfer has told how he completed a round despite being hit by lightning twice within 30 minutes.

Pub manager Vincenzo Frascella, 50, of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, was struck on the 14th and 17th holes of the Orton Meadows Golf Course in Peterborough on Wednesday.

Both times bolts struck the tip of his umbrella as he sheltered during storms.

"It's one of those things where you don't know whether you're lucky to be alive or unlucky to have been hit. I actually think I was a bit unlucky," said Mr Frascella, a father of two who has a golf handicap of 25.

"The first time there was a flash and I felt it go down my arm. The second was a bit worse. It went through my shoulder blade. It was like needles going all the way from my shoulder down my arm.

"I carried on and finished the round. I didn't think too much of it to be honest. I haven't been checked out or anything and I haven't felt any ill effects.

"I won't tell you my score. It was a bad day. But I don't think that was anything to do with the lightning. I just had a stinker."

Mr Frascella said he had been told the chances of lightning striking a person twice were about three million to one.

He added: "It's certainly a day I'll remember."

[xJones]

Both times bolts struck the tip of his umbrella as he sheltered during storms.

So he didn't put the umbrella down after the first strike, he just "carried on". I'd say the guy is extremely lucky.

[EggsAckley]

Yeah, a smart person would have high tailed it after the first strike. By staying there after the first strike, he skewed the odds.

[RLK]

These are seldom, if ever, direct lightening hits. A lighten bold puts high induced charges on metal 100 yards away.

[xJones]

"The first time there was a flash and I felt it go down my arm.

That, generally speaking, is a warning. :)

[alancarp]

It's all about the golf.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

If lightning had hit the umbrella, it would no
longer be an umbrella.
Induction could be the cause of the shock he
received.

[Imal]

This is the essence of a true golfer. And note that he didn't use being hit by lightning twice as an excuse for a bad round!

Yes, this story seems crazy, but anyone who knows a real golfer knows that this is just par for the course.

[ErnBatavia]

On the Free Republic Golf Team, you're done after the first Zot...

[Reagan is King]

He finished the round after being struck twice. He must be a Democrat.

[buffyt]

My son's high school shop teacher got hit by power lines and he lived, but he lost both hands, has hooks, and had extensive damage to legs, etc. He is a genius and he fixed up the hooks so that he can do MORE with two hooks than most men can do with two hands. He is amazing!
My son's physics got hit by lightening, while working on a roof, and he fell off. He wasn't hurt badly by lightening. We have no more details on him.
A kid at our church got hit by lightening while standing in the mouth of a cave on a camping trip. He wasn't badly injured.
A motorcycle rider was hit by lightening. It melted his helmet down over his head. I don't know how badly he was injured besides that, but he lived.

[Thinkin' Gal]

Ooops, I thought this was going to be a Gerald Ford thread.

[buffyt]

Kinda like those sharp spikes I used to have on my desk at the bank. It was for sticking loose papers on. I accidentally stuck my hand with it. The boss said "Well why did you do that!" I did it once more, but didn't tell anyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

[Endeavor]

I hope this guy doesn't reproduce.

What idiot continues to carry the umbrella, or for that matter, continues to swing a golf club when it's lightning out?

And he has the gall to think he's UNlucky?

[Cicero]

I was once crewing in a small boat in a sailboat race when a thunderstorm passed through. A bolt hit the water near us and I could feel the current go up through my arm from a wet jib sheet I was holding.

I was very pleased that I didn't let the sheet go, and we subsequently won the race.

[Maigrey]

ROFLMAO!
RWP, lawgirl, you've got to read this!

[joesnuffy]

If I were he ...I would go straight out and buy a lotto ticket

[Rebelbase]

Bump, I was thinking the same thing!

[jrawk]

If the odds of being struck by lightning is 1 in 3,000,000

and

The odds of winning the powerball lottery are 1 in 120,526,770 (www.powerball.com)


Who knows the odds on being struck by lighting twice and winning the lottery the same day?


-- lates
-- jrawk

[KneelBeforeZod]

we're missing the ZOT photo from caddyshack