A high school track athlete was killed Thursday in Illinois. It is an unfortunate reminder of the danger of lightning, even if it appears it is nowhere near. The post in the story appeared on one of our sister MileSplit sites.
http://www.polevaultpower.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11400
Please don't take any chances when it comes to lightning this Spring. A high school track athlete was struck by lightning and killed today (Thur 3/29) at a track meet we attended at his school in Carbondale, IL. He was walking through a field near the pole vault pit (which we had covered and shut down due to the weather). The weather was typical for Spring - light showers that were passing through; half the sky was clear and the other half cloudy. A little thunder could be heard in the distance and lightning appeared once or twice miles away. Suddenly an enormous lightning strike hit near the field and people saw him laying on the ground. Our coach performed CPR until the ambulance arrived but he was never revived.
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Lots of articles in the newspapers today:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17872392/
http://www.southernillinoisan.com/articles/2007/03/30/ap-state-il/d8o6i5402.txt
http://www.southernillinoisan.com/articles/2007/03/30/top/19780283.txt
http://www.southernillinoisan.com/articles/2007/03/30/top/19781506.txt
http://www.southernillinoisan.com/articles/2007/03/30/top/19781125.txt