A man flying a kite was struck by lightning on a Florida beach
A man who had been flying a large kite is now in stable condition after being struck by lightning on Vilano Beach in Florida. According to The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, Falk Weltzien, 39, was flying the kite with his son Monday afternoon. His son, Kai, was not harmed in the incident.
Kai spoke to ABC News saying “There’s like a big white flash. I dropped my kite and then I looked over and I saw him laying on the ground. When I looked at him his eyes were open and he was foaming from the mouth. Then I didn’t look at him anymore because I was really scared.”
The lightning Weltzien was hit with was enough electricity to light up a small town—one billion volts to be specific.
Weltzien was wearing a harness at the time with metal rings that attached the strings to the kite.
Kai could be heard in a 911 call for the incident telling the emergency operator that his father was turning blue. Thankfully, an off-duty nurse was nearby to perform CPR on the man. Shortly after, he was taken to Flagler Hospital. He spent a night in the intensive care unit and survived with no major injuries.
Weltzien spoke out saying “I’m feeling very thankful. I know I could have been dead.”
