Look, Ma--No Brains!

That would seem a fitting caption for this photo, which appeared in the latest issue of Jay Kumar's BassBlaster. Incidentally, the fella holding the fishing rod while lightning dances across the sky is pro angler Skeet Reese.

Make no mistake--Reese is not a Lone Ranger. Similar scenes play out like this all across America's waterways each year, many of which likely have little, if any kind of paycheck possible at the end. Some people just are willing to toss caution to the wind and risk it all for the chance--in this case--to catch a few fish. The grim reality, however, is that, as in any game of chance, there are winners and losers.

I found a March 2017 article about some of those "losers" online. Actually, it's an analysis of lightning deaths in the United States from 2006 through 2016. The author is John S. Jensenius, Jr., a lightning safety specialist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

His research revealed that, during this 11-year period, 352 people were struck and killed by lightning in the United States. Almost two-thirds of the deaths occurred to people who had been enjoying outdoor leisure activities. The common belief that golfers are responsible for the greatest number of lightning deaths was shown to be a myth. The truth of the matter is that fishermen accounted for more than three times as many fatalities as golfers, while beach activities and camping each accounted for at least twice as many deaths as golf.

Here's what a fishing rod typically looks like after lightning
has struck it.

From 2006 to 2016, there were a total of 33 fishing deaths, 20 beach deaths, 18 camping deaths, and 16 boating deaths. Of the sports activities, soccer saw the greatest number of deaths, with 12, as compared to golf with 9. Around the home, yard work (including mowing the lawn) accounted for 14 fatalities. For work-related activities, ranching/farming topped the list with 17 deaths.

Males accounted for 79 percent of all fatalities, and more than 90 percent of the deaths in the fishing and sports categories. Females had comparatively fewer deaths than men in every category, with their highest percentages in the boating-related activities (37.5 percent) and routine daily/weekly activities (35 percent).

June, July and August are the peak months for lightning activity across the United States, and the peak months for outdoor summer activities. As a result, more than 70 percent of the lightning deaths occurred during those months, with Saturdays and Sundays having slightly more deaths than other days of the week.

Ages of the victims varied from young children to older adults, with the greatest number of fatalities between the ages of 10 and 60. Within that age range, there was a relative minimum in deaths for people in their 30s, possibly due to parents of young children being less involved in vulnerable activities.

Based on media reports of the fatal incidents, many victims either were headed to safety at the time of the fatal strike or were just steps away from safety.

Said Jensenius in conclusion, "Continued efforts are needed to convince people to get inside a safe place before the lightning threat becomes significant. For many activities, situational awareness and proper planning are essential to safety."

What constitutes "a safe place"? According to Steve Kuhl, a warning coordination meteorologist for NOAA, "A fully enclosed structure, such as a house or a marina, is truly the only safe place to be during a storm.

"If an angler gets caught in a storm before he/she can get to proper shelter," continued Kuhl, "the safest option is to get as low as possible in the boat and assume the 'lightning crouch' position." In this position, you rest on the balls of your feet, which minimizes body contact with any other surface. You squat as low as possible, with your head ducked, and you cover your ears with your hands.

Under B.A.S.S. tournament rules, anglers may leave the boat only in the case of an emergency. "I consider a lightning threat an emergency, and I tell all the anglers to go to a marina or do whatever they need to in order to stay safe until a storm passes," said Trip Weldon, B.A.S.S. tournament director. "Rules simply state that partners must stay within sight of one another if they are forced to leave the boat."

Added Weldon, "We also might delay the takeoff if a big squall line is coming through. The anglers' safety is of the highest importance."

For more on lightning and how to stay safe, check out the NOAA lightning awareness website at www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov.

And finally, here's a short video about "one of the lucky ones:" an angler who survived his personal encounter with lightning. Just click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10PZ_0GK_bU.