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Zap - ouch!
By adamg on Sun, 07/20/2008 - 11:09pm
The Globe reports:
Ten soccer game spectators were injured — four of them critically — in Dorchester today when they sought refuge under a gigantic tree that was struck by lightning during a flash storm
I like how the Globe follows that with:
The victims, all males, had burns consistent with lightning strikes, authorities said.
Because you know how people in Dorchester love to make up stories about getting hit by lightning.
Lightning also knocked out Green Line service between Harvard Avenue and Packard's Corner. In fact, it hit a trolley. Amazingly, nobody hurt.
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Comments
The first is just a
The first is just a collective Darwin award. Looks like his missed his mark this time.
The second was never really a danger in the first place.
Unless the roofs of the trolleys are wood or coated in flammables, in which case we have more to worry about then lightning.
Oh really
Collective Darwin Award? Really?
I suppose you were just born with the knowledge that you don't get under a tree when a storm hits, therefore these people must have been stupid?
Oh I get it. They are stupid because they didn't read that article in Cycling magazine ten years ago like you did. Silly fools!
Who doesn't?
Who doesn't know to stay away from the trees in a lightning storm?
Oh, right, these people. Come on, this is one of those things they make kids draw as a safety poster along with "use your seatbelt" and "look both ways crossing the street". Of course, people still die not wearing a seatbelt and getting run over in the middle of a street. But then again, that's what the Darwin Awards are about.
Panic reaction
It all probably happened in less than a minute: torrent of rain arrives, people run for cover to the nearest dry spot, then BOOM. This was a wicked huge rain storm.
It was also a wicked loud
It was also a wicked loud rainstorm.
The thunder and lighting was going on for quite a few minutes before the heart of the storm arrived.
Anyone know if the ref's did the appropriate thing and kept the players safe?
Game continued during storm
From the Herald article:
I can't tell from the articles whether this was a kids' league or an adult one. In any event, I don't think there are any buildings one can run into on that field to wait out a storm.
Nice job giving it a close read Ron
Nice job giving it a close read Ron and getting the details commenters are disputing and arguing based on their assumption. (Why argue when you can look it up?)
I only read the Boston.com
I only read the Boston.com article, so also thanks for pointing that out.
that's rather disturbing that they didn't call the game, youth or not, with a T-Storm on the way. Even if it meant less people were huddled under the tree.
As a kid I remember a bunch of times when games were called once we heard an afternoon thunderstorm, and the refs told everybody to wait it out in our cars.
Aren't there any businesses around there? What about a parking lot, cars?
This story really is about exactly what not to do in this situation. can;t fathom why the refs didn't call the game with a storm approaching, and why that doofus thinks they're lucky. They'll be lucky to avoid a lawsuit, and lucky no-one on the field was also injured.
Franklin Field
By design, Franklin Field is open and grassy with almost no trees. I'm curious exactly where the tree is (or was).
There's only a tiny parking lot (near the tennis courts), and it's quite possible that many of the participants and spectators arrived by foot or bus rather than in cars.
Correcting my earlier comment, when I look at the Google satellite view, I do see a few buildings at the northwest and southwest edges of the field. But I don't know if any of them were open at the time of this storm.
Where did you learn this?
I first learned while working as a life guard. I further learned when playing soccer and cycling. My son is a soccer referee and he didn't absorb the lesson until they covered it in his training - even though he has been told to get flat or get inside to avoid lightning since he could walk.
I know you don't run for the trees Kaz and neither do I, but most people will. Instinctively, they will head for any cover they can find and cluster there. NOT getting under a tree is counterintuitive - you have to be told NOT to do this and why.
I suspect they hadn't been told, and I strongly question your belief that "every body should know this" because I have had to yell at people to get indoors or in a car on a number of occasions in a number of places. Many people make the same mistake every year on golf courses, soccer fields, camping, etc - even affluent and educated people with sporting experience.
I agree with that SG, but
I agree with that SG, but that's the point of a Darwin award.
Tons of people, most who do know what not to do, still do it. Could be the Valedictorian of their school, but they're still acting against advice they know to be sound and correct. It because of this it's a Darwin award, they had every chance and ability to prevent it, yet for some reason did everything wrong.
You can't expect me to think that all 10 of those people were ignorant about the dangers of standing under a tree, even if it was convenient and the closest shelter from the rain.
this is a case of "It could never happen to me", which is a chief cause of many Darwin Awards.
Meanwhile, on the rest of the internet...
...they're all laughing at us Bahstonians over at Fark.com because this was a no-brainer...and that seems to be the amount of intelligence applied here.
I'm sure it was only raining
I'm sure it was only raining when they ran for the tree.
How
can you be so sure?
Not this storm, I heard it
Not this storm, I heard it quite a while before the sky opened up.
Ok, I suppose it could be
Ok, I suppose it could be their parents fault for never telling them to get inside in a freaking lightning storm, and stay away from tall objects.
But let be realistic here. I'm sure they've heard of it somewhere, especially the freaking adults.
and yes, it's classify as a Darwin near miss. It's widely accepted knowledge on what not to do when a bad storm is approaching, let alone raging around you. I've heard it from parents, relative, teachers, and even strangers.
hence, Darwin near miss.
I hope the refs at that soccer game had the common sense to get the kids off the field and into shelter.
Lucky You
I've heard it from parents, relative, teachers, and even strangers.
That's nice. Of course it doesn't mean that these people had a freaking clue, were told by parents, got that message from the media or scouts, etc. The "kids get this in school" conjecture is shaky as well. Scouts maybe, but I've never seen my kids bring home anything about lightning education.
I'll just have you go from tree to tree to tell people it is a bad idea the next time a huge storm hits our local water spot ... I'm tired of risking my hide to explain it to people who have grown up in this area yet haven't gotten the message.
Wouldn't be going from tree
Wouldn't be going from tree to tree, but I would speak up and tell that that's not the brightest idea.
Don't get all defensive when it's an obvious Darwin situation.
These people should have known better. Lack of common sense and widely known and easy to access knowledge is no excuse for stupidity.... and I doubt it was even stupidity, but more of a "that couldn't happen to me" blissful ignorance.
Yeah, hasn't everyone been
Yeah, hasn't everyone been to the Theater of Electricity?!
Darn those people!
Who doesn't know to bring a large steel cage with them to a soccer match?
In reference to the trolley,
In reference to the trolley, not the people under the tree :)
Oh, Adam
That's just a TEMPEST in a t-storm!
Depends on the forecast
They only bring that on fairer days.
That's Revolting
Must have to do with the current density of messages.
what?
a tree in dorchester?
they have them... This isn't
they have them...
This isn't a problem out in Alston
there are plenty of trees in alston
http://www.alstonga.com/default_files/frame.htm
Doh'
Doh'
Lots more trees in Dot than in many other parts of Boston
since Franklin Park is mostly in Dorchester.
Herald rewrites the news
Earlier today, the Herald was reporting that people were thanking God for not killing those people outright when He struck them with lightning.
Someone must have realized how silly that sounded; it's been pulled from the article.