We’re pleased to offer the third in the three part series on Lightning and Lightning Safety for Fishermen from Bozeman’s Dwight Short. See Part 1 and Part 2 if you’ve missed them over the past few days.
Lightning and Lightning Safety for Fishermen (Part 3)
If a lone fisherman is struck by lightning, there is not much medically that can be done, of course. The fate of the individual is sealed at the moment of the strike. Fortunately, the statistics are in the person’s favor and he is most likely to survive. He should get to or be taken to a medical facility as soon as possible to be examined and treated for any complications, however.
As mentioned above, the main safety action for a group of fishermen caught out in a thunderstorm is to put down the rods and then separate by as much distance as possible. This minimizes the chance that all of the individuals will be struck. If during the storm some members are injured, time is critical in administering aid. As opposed to the routine triage rule that intensive medical attention should be given to the living or those most likely to survive and limited care given to the dead or unconscious, after a lightning strike involving several persons the intensive and immediate care should be given to the victims who are unconscious or thought to be dead. They may have sustained damage to the heart or cerebral respiratory centers that can be reversed by giving immediate aggressive and sustained life support resuscitation. An old wives tale has victims of a strike retaining electrical charge and are therefore unsafe to approach. That is not true. Those victims showing signs of life after a strike will in all probability recover, although they may have injuries that will need to be treated later. All victims should have cervical spine precautions observed as they may have been thrown violently by the strike.
In past times the thought was that if a person survived a lightning strike, there were not likely to be any long term effects. However, as data collection has become more sophisticated it has been found that many lightning strike survivors do indeed have some degree of physical or mental impairment. The list is a long one, but the most common are- cardiac damage
amnesia
brain damage
numbness and weakness
Parkinsonian Syndrome
cataracts
deafness
fatigue
sleep disorders
concentration problems
[Mark here – OMG, I’ve got all those symptoms....]
Any lightning strike survivor should seek medical attention as soon as possible in an effort to minimize physical or mental damage. They should also consult with mental health professionals, physical therapists and occupational therapists in an attempt to correct or lessen the long term effects. An excellent source of information and support for both lightning strike survivors and their families is the Lightning Strike and Electrical Shock Survivors International, Inc. located in Jacksonville, NC.
In summary, as with all dangerous situations, the best way to handle thunderstorms and lightning is to avoid them by careful planning and thought. In the case of thunderstorms and fishermen, avoidance may not be always possible. Every fisherman, therefore, should have knowledge of thunderstorms and lightning strikes and be aware of ways to best protect themselves. In the case of a lightning strike on people, the best course is to institute immediate and intensive resuscitation techniques. Ideally, every fisherman should know the method of basic life support. If you don’t, consider signing up for a class. A basic first aid kit should be on hand to handle open injuries such as often occurs in skin. Lightning strike survivors are likely to have some degree of residual effects. These should be addressed by medical professionals to minimize their effects.
Bibliography-
1) Medical News Today-www.medicalnewstoday.com
2) National Weather Service-www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov
3) Seminars in Neurology,vol.15,no.4 ,December 1995
4) Science@NASA-http://science.nasa.gov
5) Journal of Family Practice, September 1989
6) The Human Effects of Lightning Strikes and Recommendations for Storm Chasers-www.harkphoto.com/light
7) Lightning Strike and Electrical Shock Survivors International, Inc.-www.lightning-strike.org
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