Ignoring the thunderclouds towering ominously above, the young man decided to go for a walk with his dog, taking along his nordic walking sticks. His route took him to the top of a barren hill devoid of trees just as the first raindrops were falling.

"There was a flash, a very loud bang, and then he fell over" said an eyewitness, who rushed out with her husband to help. They found him lying unconcious on the road and bleeding from wounds caused by the fall, but their efforts and subsequent professional rescusitation were in vain.

The medical report stated that he had lightning burns on both hands. Apparently the bolt had caught him in mid stride, passing from one metal walking stick into his hand, through his body to the other hand, out to the other stick and from there into the ground.

Walking to the top of a hill while a thunderstorm is imminent could be regarded as literally sticking one's neck out. Adding pointy metallic sticks proved to be too conduc(t)ive a temptation for lightning to resist.

http://www.kurier.at/chronik/1109959.php

Submitted on 09/14/2005

Submitted by: Gunter
Reference: Kurier, Sept 14 2005

Copyright © 2005 DarwinAwards.com

James said:
Neutral: Darwin Award
Every safety lesson I was ever taught about being out in a lightning storm (and they came early and often throughout my childhood and adolescence) came back to me when I read this. To me, this is a simple case of tempting fate. Unfortunately, the dog also got zapped, which is why I'm voting neutral on otherwise perfectly DA-worthy material.

Greg said:
Maybe Toss: Other
Nice right-up, but the article doesn't mention any of the finer details the write-up goes in to. I'd like to know where the extra info comes from ...?

Kelly said:
Neutral: Other
I can't translate the article and I know nothing about how reputable the site the article is listed on might be. I'd appreciate some extra details, perhaps a link to the same article on another site...a well know major news site or something like it. I do agree that going outside in a lightning storm, even without the sticks, is foolish. I'd still like an article I can translate.

Jack said:
Neutral: Darwin Award
I'm of mixed feelings about this, but I'm going to go along with James. Regardless of the embellishments that may have been added to the original story by the submitter, we do get the occasional submission (particularly during the summer) about golfers who, when caught in a thunderstorm, promptly unfurl their umbrellas and are hit by lightning.

Charles said:
Neutral: Darwin Award
Unless he was pointing one stick at the sky as an Act Of Defiance Against Thor, I don't see this as being particularly worthy... and if he had both sticks planted firmly in thr ground, and lightning struck his head, he would also have burn marks on both hands, so it is not necessarily true that he even had one stick off the ground.

The Darwin Awards Gift Shop

The Darwin Awards Condom Keep yourself out of the gene pool! A condom in a matchbook, useful for emergency contraception, bachelor parties, frat parties, and important rites of passage. LOADED inside and out with funny quotes and stories. Everyone loves this item! Friends don't let friends reproduce! $13 for Pack of 4