The famous saying says "lightening never strikes twice"... but, for one man, this certainly wasn't the case!
Melvin Roberts, a 62 year old man from South Carolina has been struck by lightening an unbelievable 11 times!
Melvin himself is a retired from a job as a heavy machine operating and has stated he has absolutely no idea why he keeps getting hit.
So, what does getting struck by lightening so many times feel like according to Melvin?
"It's like it hunts me. It cooks you from the inside out like being in a microwave"
I'm not sure about you, but I feel so bad for this poor guy.... struck by lightening 11 times! that's absolute madness
What are the odds of getting hit by lightening?
Getting his by lightening even once is a rare event, with the odds of getting hit in your life time being around 1/12000.
Around 500 people get struck each year and around 90% of these people survive.
What happens to your body when it's struck by lightening?
Lightening can travel as fast as 300,000 kilometers per hour as it shoots towards the ground with a crazy amount of power of 100,000 volts!
When the lightening strikes your body, it will leave you with 3rd degree burns, the cloths you are wearing will either singe or catch fire along with your hair.
If you are wearing anything made from metal such as rings or necklaces it can become so hot that it scolds your skin. A strange pattern can also occur on the skin known as a Lichtenberg figure. This is caused by blood vessels bursting from the intense heat caused by the lightening strike.
The main cause of death from a lightening strike is cardiac arrest resulting from the lightening interrupting the hearts electrical rhythm. It can also cause seizures or respiratory arrest leading to permanent damage with long life long side affects.
So, what has happened to Melvin after being struck 11 times?
After being struck 11 times by lightening Melvin has scars on his feet and legs, and suffers from memory loss, headaches, speech problems and nerve damage.
Has this happened to anyone else?
Melvin isn't the only other person that appears to be a lightening conductor. Roy C. Sullivan who was a park ranger was hit 7 times by lightening, but unfortunately died in 1983.
I hope you enjoyed!
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Will