[Paddlewise] Lightning

In the discussion of paddles and lightning, one factor has possibly been
overlooked, the path of the lightning. Lightning causes major injury along
the path it takes through the body to the ground (or water). If the
lightning takes a path through the heart you die as the electrical activity
of the heart is terminated. It also produces an internal injury similar to
a crush injury along it's path. It may actually be better to have a
conducting pole from the air, through your hands into the water as opposed
to through your head into the boat or water. Yes your hands would likely be
seriously burned but survival might be enhanced. The golfer with an
umbrella has the current pass into his/her hand and through the body to the
ground and is seriously injured, a paddler might fair differently. Other
than the description of mechanism of injury this is purely theoretical (my
lawyer made me say that).


Martin Doerfler, MD


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