A man from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, has described the moment he was struck by lightning while sitting on his sofa playing a video game. The incident occurred on 5 September during a rainy Monday night.
Chris, a blacksmith, was playing a game on his PlayStation when he heard a loud crack of thunder. He felt as if something extremely heavy had dropped on his body, experiencing both hot and cold sensations simultaneously. He then smelled singed flesh and saw his right arm burning and blistering.
His husband, Aaron, rushed to help, initially thinking the TV had exploded. After taking Chris to the hospital, doctors confirmed he had been struck by lightning. The lightning had hit water droplets on the windowsill, bounced onto his shoulder, and exited through his foot, leaving burns at both entry and exit points.
Chris spent ten hours in A&E with an erratic heart rate before being discharged. The strike has affected his ability to work as a blacksmith due to reduced sensation and strength in his arm. He is now undergoing physiotherapy.
Despite the ordeal, Chris has maintained a sense of humour, buying a lottery ticket to check for any newfound powers. He won £6. He is considering getting a commemorative lightning bolt tattoo and using the symbol as his signature in his blacksmith work.
