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Saved by my iPod: Girl survives lightning strike after wire diverts 300,000 volts
Daily Mail ^ | 19th June 2009 | Daily Mail

Posted on 06/19/2009 3:10:13 PM PDT by AngieGal

A teenage girl survived a terrifying lightning strike after she was saved by the wire of her iPod.

Schoolgirl Sophie Frost and her boyfriend Mason Billington, both 14, stopped to shelter under a tree when a storm struck as they were walking near their homes.

Doctors believe Sophie survived the 300,000-volt surge only because it travelled through the gadget’s wire, diverting it away from her vital organs.

The teenager was taken to hospital and is recovering from burns to her chest and legs while Mason suffered damage to his eyes.

Both are expected to make a full recovery and Sophie may not even have a permanent scar.

She will be thankful she was wearing her iPod, which she had been given four days earlier as a gift from her grandmother.

Returning from hospital yesterday after three days of treatment, she said: ‘I’m just glad to be alive. I don’t remember a thing about what happened, but from what everyone tells me it’s a miracle I’m still here.

‘Everybody’s said the iPod must have diverted the lightning away from my body, which probably saved my life. I’ve got a few burns, but it’s all healing OK.’

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: accident; ipod; lightning
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1 posted on 06/19/2009 3:10:14 PM PDT by AngieGal
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To: Swordmaker; ShadowAce

May be of interest.


2 posted on 06/19/2009 3:11:02 PM PDT by KoRn (Department of Homeland Security, Certified - "Right Wing Extremist")
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To: AngieGal

That girl looks EMO. Guarantee you she thinks TWIGHLIGHT was the greatest movie ever.


3 posted on 06/19/2009 3:12:13 PM PDT by exist
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To: AngieGal
"stopped to shelter under a tree when a storm struck as they were walking near their homes."

Do parents teach their children anything these days? When I was a child it was stressed that during a storm, one of the worst places to be is under a tree.

4 posted on 06/19/2009 3:12:53 PM PDT by KoRn (Department of Homeland Security, Certified - "Right Wing Extremist")
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To: AngieGal
SHOCKING!

But can she sing???

5 posted on 06/19/2009 3:13:14 PM PDT by steveo
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To: exist
In my experience every girl emo or not thinks Twilight is the best thing ever.
6 posted on 06/19/2009 3:16:58 PM PDT by Mr. Blonde (You ever thought about being weird for a living?)
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To: AngieGal

Now that’s what I call REAL “firewire”!


7 posted on 06/19/2009 3:17:55 PM PDT by pogo101
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To: AngieGal
I wonder if she yelled "Rat farts!" just before she was struck.


8 posted on 06/19/2009 3:19:51 PM PDT by Costumed Vigilante
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To: KoRn; Slings and Arrows
Do parents teach their children anything these days? When I was a child it was stressed that during a storm, one of the worst places to be is under a tree.

DITTO THAT!

9 posted on 06/19/2009 3:20:32 PM PDT by Fiddlstix (Warning! This Is A Subliminal Tagline! Read it at your own risk!(Presented by TagLines R US))
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To: AngieGal

Wow! Praise the Lord! What a precious girl.


10 posted on 06/19/2009 3:21:36 PM PDT by rawhide
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To: AngieGal
I got a Philips....



I wonder who or what was trying to tell her that Ipod is overrated?
11 posted on 06/19/2009 3:24:50 PM PDT by Dallas59 ("You know the one with the big ears? He might be yours, but he ain't my president.")
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To: AngieGal

Schoolgirl Sophie Frost and her boyfriend Mason Billington, both 14, stopped to shelter under a tree when a storm struck as they were walking near their homes.


That would be their first mistake.


12 posted on 06/19/2009 3:26:48 PM PDT by freedomlover (Make sure you're in love - before you move in the heavy stuff)
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To: AngieGal

15 cattle killed by lightning strike. Not near any tree.
Lightning kills 15 head of cattle in Lithia

13 posted on 06/19/2009 3:40:51 PM PDT by BerryDingle (I know how to deal with communists, I still wear their scars on my back from Hollywood-Ronald Reagan)
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To: AngieGal

This fails electricity 101. No iPod can divert a 300,000V lightening bolt. She was just lucky.


14 posted on 06/19/2009 3:45:17 PM PDT by pabianice
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To: AngieGal

According to pro golfer Lee Travino, who has had some experience with lightning himself, the best thing to do in a lightning storm is to hold up a 1-iron. Why? Because even God can’t hit a 1-iron.


15 posted on 06/19/2009 3:48:59 PM PDT by meyer ( "The world is a beautiful place and worth fighting for. But not without Freedom.")
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To: AngieGal

Conversely, it is suspected that it was the iPod that drew the lightning in the first place...


16 posted on 06/19/2009 3:50:23 PM PDT by green pastures
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To: pabianice

“This fails electricity 101. No iPod can divert a 300,000V lightening bolt. She was just lucky.”

Actually it doesn’t fail electricity 101. lightning will follow the lowest impedance path. The wire of her Ipod would be lower impedance than her body as the lightning went to ground.


17 posted on 06/19/2009 3:53:53 PM PDT by RFEngineer
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To: KoRn

Ya beat me to it.

I can feel the beginning of a new Apple iPod ad campaign, “Great music, easy to use, stops lightning strikes! Try THAT with a Zune!”


18 posted on 06/19/2009 3:53:54 PM PDT by garyhope
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To: pabianice

This shows how technically ignorant the press is.

And they have the nerve to lecture us on global warming and energy.


19 posted on 06/19/2009 3:58:01 PM PDT by oldbill
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To: AngieGal

What a cutie-pie. I’m glad she and her boyfriend are going to be OK.


20 posted on 06/19/2009 3:59:52 PM PDT by B-Chan
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