movieguy Posted July 23, 2004 Report Posted July 23, 2004 Lightning Strike Energizes Maine Man By Associated Press July 23, 2004, 10:17 AM EDT MADISON, Maine -- A Madison man who was struck by lightning this week says he feels "lighter and 100 years younger" than he did before the accident. "I'm feeling like my body is light. It's the best I've probably felt as far as energy in 10 years," said John Corson, 56, the day after he was struck by lightning while working outside his home. Corson thought the afternoon thunder-and-lightning storm had passed his home, and had gone outside to work on a renovation project when the lightning hit him. "It was like a whitish-blue, but it was so bright," Corson said. "I actually heard the snap, but I was paralyzed. It was like my whole body was just vibrating. It was like, a hell of a sensation. It was like chest pain, with someone's hand on my chest." The lightning left redness around his shoulders, he said. The bolt went through his body and tripped three breakers in the garage. "My knees buckled. I was able to straighten out," he said. "Then I was dumbfounded. Just dumbfounded." Corson, who has had three cardiac surgeries, spent eight hours at Redington-Fairview General Hospital after the accident while doctors tested his blood for any effect on his heart. He thanked both AMS Ambulance and the staff at Redington-Fairview for their outstanding professionalism. Corson said he thought people who are hit by lightning die, and he now believes in guardian angels. In fact, according to the National Weather Service, most lightning-strike victims survive, although they often report a variety of long-term debilitating symptoms. An average of 67 people in the United States are killed each year by lightning. In 2003, there were 44 such deaths. Copyright © 2004, The Associated Press newsday.com Quote
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