Brothers struck by lightning in Bonita Springs

A construction worker was seriously injured when he was struck by a bolt of lightning Wednesday afternoon in Bonita Springs.

Four brothers were working on the roof of a home under construction at 26520 Snowberry Lane when the lightning struck at 3:21 p.m., said Greg DeWitt, assistant chief for the Bonita Springs Fire Control & Rescue District.

The men were working for D. Peck Roofing of Fort Myers.

The owner, Dave Peck, verified that the four men working on the job site are brothers and two of them were victims of the lightning strike.

The bolt hit an older brother, in his late 20s, and a younger brother was standing next to him on the roof just before they started to climb down a ladder because of the thunder, Peck said.

According to what relatives told him, the man struck directly by lightning "is in stable and improving condition," Peck said. "The other is fine."

Peck declined to give the names of the two men.

He said the men were on the roof when it started sprinkling. Then it cleared up overhead. Then they heard thunder in the distance and decided to get down.

"As they were approaching the ladder, it hit them. They just waited a little too late," Peck said.

He said nothing like this has happened in the 19-year history of his company.

"It's very upsetting," Peck said.

Jeff Earle, who lives across the street from the house, said he was in his courtyard when the lightning struck.

"It was enough to knock me back," he said.

Earle said he then heard his wife scream, "'Oh my God, there's a guy lying on the roof.'"

Earle said he immediately called 911.

"I dashed across the street. The brothers got him down off the roof and were doing mouth to mouth resuscitation," Earle said.

"His clothes were blown off. His hat had a hole in it. It appears he was struck on the head," Earle said.

DeWitt said the man was in cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived but after performing CPR, they were able to detect a pulse.

The other brother was transported to the hospital complaining of a tingling sensation in his body, DeWitt said.

The assistant chief said the the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been contacted. He said the sheriff's major crimes unit is also investigating.

Florida is the lightning capital of the United States, consistently having the most deaths and injuries in the country, according to National Weather Service statistics.

Scott Wilcox of Lehigh Acres was killed by lightning last July while walking on Fort Myers Beach. Jesse Watlington, 11 was killed by a lightning strike in October 2012 while walking near a football practice field at Southwest Florida Christian Academy.

LIGHTNING IN FLORIDA

Lightning fatalities in the U.S. have been on the decline in recent years, and 2013 had a record low of 23 deaths, John Jensenius, a meteorologist and lightning expert with the National Weather Service.

Greater public awareness about lightning safety is one of the main reasons for the decrease, Jensenius says, and more people are trained in CPR to help people who have been struck.

Still, lightning remains a real danger, especially in the summer when more people are engaged in outdoor activities far away from shelter, he said. Florida residents may want to be extra cautious, as the state often has the highest number of fatalities each year (there have been four this year already) and is considered the "lightning capital" of the U.S.

LIGHTNING STRIKES FROM 2014

6 TIPS FOR STAYING SAFE

The main thing you can do to avoid being struck is to check forecasts and get to safety before the storm even arrives, Jensenius says. If you are caught in a storm, experts advise:

1. If you can hear any thunder, the storm is close enough to strike you. At that point you should immediately seek shelter. "Inside a house or an enclosed structure is the safest place to be," said Joseph Dwyer, a professor of physics and space sciences at Florida Institute of Technology.

2. If you can't reach a shelter immediately, avoid standing near tall objects or tall trees, which attract lightning. Keep in mind that most fatalities are not caused by direct lightning strikes but by lightning traveling through the ground. In those cases, "lightning strikes an object, comes down to the ground and travels along the ground surface" before striking someone, Jensenius said.

3. Administer CPR as soon as possible if someone you are with is struck. A lightning strike victim does not keep the electricity inside of them. "People that have been struck by lightning don't carry a charge. That's a myth. In fact, it's very important that they be attended to right away," Jensenius says.

4. An enclosed car (not a convertible) is a safe place to be in a thunderstorm, but not because of the rubber tires, which is a common misconception. A car is safe because of its metal shell. If struck, the metal frame will conduct electricity around the car, but not to the people inside. "It doesn't mean the car will survive real well, but the people inside are usually safe," Jensenius says.

5. Once you are inside, stay away from items connected to the wiring and plumbing. If your house is struck, electricity can travel through plumbing and wires. You don't want to be taking a shower or washing dishes when that happens, Jensenius says, because you can be struck. Similarly, you don't want to be talking on the phone or using an appliance that is connected to the wall.

6. Lightning can strike even after it appears that the storm has passed. "When it looks like the storm is dying down, wait 30 minutes after you hear the last thunder and lightning," Dwyer says.

More safety tips are available on the National Weather Service website.