Man in Toledo struck by lightning
Saturday, May 29, 2004 12:11 AM PDT
By Amy M. E. Fischer
Printable version
E-mail this articleA construction worker from Graham, Wash., who was struck by lightning while shingling the rooftop of a Toledo home is in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
Sergio Torres, who is about 30, was directly hit by a lone lightning bolt Thursday afternoon around 3 p.m. after a drizzle suddenly turned to a downpour, the homeowner said. Torres and three other crew members had been lining up to climb a ladder off the roof of Jim Stenhouse's new house on Homer Lane when the bolt struck without warning, Stenhouse said Friday.
"The guys were wearing rain gear, and this black cloud came over and just started dumping," Stenhouse said.
Torres collapsed. His Delson Construction Company co-workers tried to revive him with CPR but could not find a pulse, said Stenhouse, who heard but did not see the lightning strike. Rescue workers who arrived within minutes were able to restore Torres' pulse before transporting him to the hospital, said Stenhouse, calling the incident a "freak accident."
"How many people have been hit by lightning in Toledo lately?" said Stenhouse, who is retired and currently lives in Napavine. The lone lightning bolt that hit Torres and its accompanying clap of thunder was the only time all afternoon anyone present saw lightning or heard thunder, he said.
"It was very unsettling, and I've still not settled down from it," Stenhouse said. "When people read this unfortunate thing that happened to this young man, they should pray for his recovery. ... He has a family."
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