Electrifying
An ignored weather forecast proves shocking and deadly.
When James surfaced, the light squall brewing in the distance before the dive now seemed to roll in like an avalanche. The previously calm seas churned with a short, choppy swell. The morning weather forecast James and his friends chose to ignore had come true after all. The only diver still in the water, James started quickly toward the boat, hoping to get moving and beat the full force of the storm back to land. As he struggled against the mounting seas, the sky turned dark and his anxiety began to grow. Looking toward the boat, the nervous, urging faces on board seemed to will him closer, and he was making good time. But as he grew near, the air took on an eerie static quality, and then the violent crack enveloped him.
The Diver
James was an active diver and boater who frequently used his private boat to dive near his coastal home. Short afternoon excursions were the rule for him and his group of friends--all skilled divers--and today was no different. James was healthy, in his early thirties, held advanced certifications and had years of experience both as a diver and a boat operator.
The Dive
Their afternoon dive trip started out with the usual mid-morning check of the weather reports. The forecast called for afternoon thunderstorms, typical for a summer afternoon in their area, and it was just as typical for the scattered thunderstorms to never appear--at least not where the group was diving. The divers had made many safe and uneventful dives following similar forecasts, and with that rationale, they boarded the boat and headed out to sea. The distant skies showed signs of stormy weather with a dark line of clouds reaching nearly to the water. As they exited the channel into open water, the storm seemed distant, and they told themselves it was moving in a different direction. Unusually calm seas further justified the decision in their minds.
The Accident
The mariner's old adage about the calm before the storm went unheeded as they arrived at the site and suited up. The dive was uneventful. In fact, calm seas, no current and sunlight filtering through the cloudy skies made it quite memorable, and it was with some reluctance that James surfaced a little behind the rest of his group.
Scattered raindrops were beginning to fall. The rising swells and the rolling storm didn't cause anyone to have concerns about James' immediate safety, but he quickened his pace in order to get on board and back to land before the storm overtook them. Moving with the choppy water, he closed the gap between himself and the ladder, and he was just feet away when the jagged bolt of lightning struck, either hitting James directly or hitting the water very close to him. Regardless of the strike location, the result was the same. A burning smell filled the air, and James--who, just seconds before, had been swimming briskly toward the boat--now floated limply, face down in the water. Although terrified by the spectacle in front of them, and fearing for their own safety, the divers on the boat quickly hauled James on board, stripped him of his equipment, checked for vital signs and started CPR as they rushed to a nearby medical facility. At the hospital, James was pronounced dead, and the coroner confirmed that electrocution from a lightning strike was the cause.
Analysis
When you regularly beat the odds it's common to assume that you will continue to do so, but the odds have a tendency of winning in the long run. James and his friends knew to check the weather reports and did so, but they decided to ignore them and dive anyway. Taking a small boat out isn't generally a good idea when storms are predicted. It's an even worse idea to then put that boat in a position where it can't move to avoid the oncoming storm, but that is exactly what these divers did. Their decision put the boat and all its passengers in danger. James' death was an unlikely accident to be sure--but not unheard of. There are many tall tales in diving about what happens when lightning strikes close to a diver, and this story separates fact from fiction. The bottom line is that when lightning strikes close to a diver in the water the results will be tragic, and James' friends had little hope of saving him.
Lessons for Life
They're not always accurate, but that doesn't mean they should be ignored. Marine forecasts and general weather forecasts provide vital information that can prevent serious problems--especially when they're coupled with common sense.
Even if someone stays on board, the boat can't move until all the divers return. This leaves the boat stuck on the hook waiting to get pummeled.
Remember visiting the public pool as a kid? The lifeguards kicked everyone out when a storm came. It's no different on the ocean.
