While we’ve all been caught in the rain before, and those of us who fish may make a point of going out on a cloudy day, a recent video posted by an angler in Texas is the perfect example of why it’s important to get off the water when it starts to come down, especially if you hear thunder.
Tucker K. Owing’s close call came when he was fishing on Lake Athens on a stormy Saturday afternoon. A bolt of lightning struck incredibly close to the front of his boat. So close, in fact, that he and his passenger could feel it.
“We were literally feeling what I would describe as static on our rods. At that point, we quickly started to head to the ramp,” he told KPHO
While Owings and his passenger were lucky, such a close encounter with lightning should not be taken lightly. According to Environment Canada, there are between nine and 10 lightning-related deaths in Canada each year and more than 160 lightning-related injuries. Not surprisingly they’ve also found that most victims are young males who are engaging in outdoor recreational activities when they are injured or killed.
The terrifying event was caught with Owings GoPro camera, which was mounted on the boat’s windshield. At only 6 seconds, the video is short, but that doesn’t mean it won’t make your hair stand on end.
