In 1942, the first lightning strike shot through Sullivan's leg and knocked his big toenail off.
In 1969, a second strike burned off his eyebrows and knocked him unconscious.
In 1970, another strike left his shoulder seared.
In 1972 his hair was set on fire and Roy had to dump a bucket of water over his head to cool off.
On August 7, 1973, another bolt ripped through his hat and hit him on the head, set his hair on fire again, threw him out of his truck and knocked his left shoe off.
On June 5, 1976, a sixth strike in 1976 left him with an injured ankle.
On June 25th, 1977, the last lightning bolt to hit Roy Sullivan sent him to the hospital with chest and stomach burns in 1977.
His wife was also struck once, when a sudden storm welled up as she and her husband were out hanging wash on the back yard clothesline.
He also started to believe that some higher power was trying to kill him, according to a 1989 St. Petersburg Times article.
Chances of it happening.....1 in 16 septillion.
Amazing story. Thanks podroock.
Off Topic » in reply to struck seven times
His seventh strike put him in the Guinness Book of World Records.
The whole thread (83 posts)
- And you think your luck is bad??
- No puns, this time. Just more bad luck.
- probability Theory and "bad luck"
- re: And you think your luck is bad?? - Yes, he was lucky. (n/t)
- Was he lucky?
- Shouldn't this be on Current Events? (n/t)
- This story sparks my interest. (n/t)
- Shocking! (n/t)
- I certainly got a charge out of it. (n/t)
- He might find it Re-Volting (n/t)
- Nah, it was just a flash in the pan (n/t)
- That suggestion might meet with some resistance. (n/t)
- I don’t think I deserve a battery of charges. (n/t)
- Just pray if you're convicted, you get a dry cell. (n/t)
- I might short-circuit in such limited capacity (n/t)
- Only without the proper insulation. (n/t)
- Of course the current situation can alternate and become direct. (n/t)
- Do you mean like the series of parallel puns now making the circuit? (n/t)
- You win. I have become static. I feel drained :) (n/t)
- I feel re-generated! (n/t)
- Watt-ever. (n/t)
- In fact, I'm positively recharged. (n/t)
- I bet he had to change his short(s) after that (n/t)
- Do you think he has a loose wire now? (n/t)
- his new mantra: Ohm....Ohm . . . (n/t)
- Do you think he has a loose wire now? (n/t)
- I bet he had to change his short(s) after that (n/t)
- I feel re-generated! (n/t)
- You win. I have become static. I feel drained :) (n/t)
- Do you mean like the series of parallel puns now making the circuit? (n/t)
- Of course the current situation can alternate and become direct. (n/t)
- Only without the proper insulation. (n/t)
- I might short-circuit in such limited capacity (n/t)
- Just pray if you're convicted, you get a dry cell. (n/t)
- I don’t think I deserve a battery of charges. (n/t)
- He might find it Re-Volting (n/t)
- I certainly got a charge out of it. (n/t)
- Perhaps he's just well grounded in reality. (n/t)
- Clearly the guy pissed off Zeus
- Na, just a stroke of bad luck. (n/t)
- he's living up to his potential, though. (n/t)
- As long as the unfortunate victim doesn't die electric. (n/t)
- Maybe he was negative all the time (n/t)
- He was known to blow a fuse. (n/t)
- Because he failed to conduct himself properly. (n/t)
- Before the incident he was quite the energetic person. (n/t)
- Unfortunately, he's pretty static now. (n/t)
- but well grounded (n/t)
- I wonder if he'll make the talk show circuit. I bet they would get a charge out of him. (n/t)
- but well grounded (n/t)
- Unfortunately, he's pretty static now. (n/t)
- Before the incident he was quite the energetic person. (n/t)
- Because he failed to conduct himself properly. (n/t)
- He was known to blow a fuse. (n/t)
- Maybe he was negative all the time (n/t)
- As long as the unfortunate victim doesn't die electric. (n/t)
- he's living up to his potential, though. (n/t)
- Na, just a stroke of bad luck. (n/t)
- Clearly the guy pissed off Zeus
