BY: Denver Sean
Published 7 years ago
A 21-year-old airport ground worker got struck by lightning while on the job — and the whole incident was captured on video.
via NYDN:
The strike occurred on July 22 at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, Fla., and sent Austin Dunn, a subcontractor for the under-wing handling company Navstar, to the hospital for nearly two weeks, according to NBC2.
The bolt of lightning first hit the plane and moved along the fuselage, right into Dunn’s body.
He collapsed immediately and his co-workers can be seen searching for assistance.
Dunn sustained third-degree burns across his body, but has been released from the hospital, NBC2 reports.
His family recognized how lucky Dunn is to be alive after the fleeting but devastating event.
“We knew he wouldn’t give up. Once we knew he was alive. It was a relief but it was definitely the scariest thing, you don’t expect it … you don’t expect it,” his sister Autumn Dunn said, according to NBC2.
The full video shows three workers on the tarmac during the storm — as they prepare a Sun Country plane for takeoff.
One man directs the plane while another operates the runway vehicle.
Then Dunn comes into view in an orange uniform. Just a minute or so later, the bolt scorches him, sending him directly to the ground. His co-workers scramble for help.
No other planes or workers were reportedly out in the storm, and the airport’s lightning warning system was activated when the 21-year-old was struck, the same outlet writes.
You can watch the video below.