A 15-year-old boy is recovering after being struck by lightning in Central Park during a sudden thunderstorm Thursday afternoon. Despite being knocked unconscious and sustaining burns, he is expected to make a full recovery.
Yassin Khalifa, a high school sophomore, had been enjoying a picnic with friends when the weather turned. “I leaned up against a tree, and I told them, ‘Let’s ride out the storm,’ which in hindsight might not have been the best idea,” he told WABC-TV.
Moments later, Khalifa was hit by lightning and lost consciousness. Crystal Mateo, 17, who witnessed the incident, said Khalifa’s friends immediately called for help and attempted to revive him. “It was scary. I was crying,” she told The New York Times.
Khalifa was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated for burns on his neck and leg. Thankfully, doctors confirmed he had no nerve or spinal damage.
“Apparently, I’m pretty lucky,” Khalifa said, noting that his spine had been leaning directly against the tree at the time of the strike. “I’m not losing any sort of motor function, so I’m pretty happy about that.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, lightning strikes kill about 30 people annually in the U.S., but approximately 90% survive.
This incident serves as a reminder to avoid sheltering under trees during thunderstorms, a common but dangerous mistake that can increase the risk of lightning injury.