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Old 10-03-2012, 10:32 PM
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ricki ricki is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2004
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Default Kiteboarder Struck By Lightning

Details are still coming in but it sounds like this man may be the first kiteboarder on earth that has been struck by lightning that I have heard about. He was on land however, not riding, putting him in a much larger group of strike victims, thousands of people who have been injured on land. Unlike many of them he has survived his ordeal and is recovering in hospital. He was taking a break on land with his son from a kiting session. He was on Vilano Beach, FL just north of St. Augustine. I am still trying to learn more details about weather conditions before the strike and to confirm details. It seems his kite was on the ground and he was putting on his harness assisted by his son at the time of the lightning strike.



Vilano Beach, FL

"Falk Weltzien of St. Augustine was severely injured in a lightning strike at Vilano Beach on Monday afternoon.

According to a St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office report, Weltzien, 39, was with his son Kai, flying a large kite.

Kai told the deputy that he saw a flash of lightning and felt a tingle. He then looked at his father, who was wearing a harness with metal rings that attached strings to the kite, and saw he had fallen to the ground.

Two people on the beach, Kate Colton of Utah and Daniel Trubey of St. Augustine, witnessed the incident and came over to help.

Colton said she noticed Weltzien turning blue and foaming at the mouth, so she performed CPR on him. St. Johns County Rescue and deputies responded to the incident and assisted with the rescue.

Weltzien, who had burn marks on his left shoulder, was taken to Flagler Hospital. He was in stable condition Monday night.

Kai was evaluated but was apparently unharmed."

More at: http://staugustine.com/news/local-ne...o#.UG0DfI62fRg





In the interim, read over and carefully consider the following precautions:

http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/outdoors.htm
http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/sports.htm

Finally, lightning storms are common in Florida, they often accompany squalls with hazardous winds. Hazardous winds have killed and maimed far more kiters than lightning ever has. Still, only a fool would risk a strike. Read over the guidelines and use good sense.

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Last edited by ricki; 10-04-2012 at 10:48 AM.
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