The man, Nick Gemayel, was at his auto repair shop in Rochester when a thunderstorm hit the area. Gemayel’s manager, Ryan Davis, said he heard a loud noise and saw a bold flash.
A man says he's “just happy to be alive” after being struck by lightning while sitting at his office desk. pic.twitter.com/EPODOhB7Bv
— NBC DFW (@NBCDFW) June 7, 2017
Davis said he went the other away because he didn’t want to get closer. He was standing outside of the shop at the time. Other witnesses who spoke with WHEC said the lightning hit the sidewalk and then traveled inside the auto repair shop.
Gemayel said he saw a flash of light from a light switch, followed by a loud cracking sound. He said the lights went out and within minutes he realized his hand was blistering from getting struck by a bolt. He said he felt very strange and he didn’t feel like himself. He continued to say that his muscles were contracting and tensing.
He was taken to the hospital and treated. A day later he was released. As for his garage, the electrical wiring was completely fried. Gemayel plans on taking a few days off from work and he will start making repairs on the wiring.
According to the Weather Channel, finding shelter from a thunderstorm can be a lifesaving decision, but additional steps can be taken. Those steps include staying off of computers, phones and other electronic devices.
