News

Actions

Lightning destroys fishing rod on Florida fishing boat

Posted at 2:19 PM, Jul 25, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-25 14:19:34-04

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. – A Florida couple have an interesting souvenir from a close call with death while fishing recently.

The couple set sail from the coast of Jupiter on Saturday around 1 p.m.  They say they were watching some storm cells in the distance but thought they were far enough.

That's when suddenly they heard and felt the lightning strike hit their boat.

Luckily nobody was injured, but a woman was sitting next to that reel and she said it felt like she was on fire after the bolt hit.  "I just felt a very strong surge in my back and the heat started coming. I just felt like I was on fire out of nowhere," says Emily Coffey.

The jolt was so strong it blew her sunglasses off her face.

The couple believes the rain jacket she put on right before might have been a life saver.

The couple says they are going to keep the burnt rod as a warning of what not to do. The man says he is a veteran charter boat captain and he says he just got complacent.