Hit by a lightning yesterday

[Pierre]

My best translation at the bottom, sorry for all my mistakes, did my best

Quebec ( Gatineau )

Un motocycliste meurt frappé par la foudre

Un motocycliste des plus malchanceux qui circulait sur l'autoroute 50 Ouest a été frappé mortellement par la foudre hier en fin d'après-midi, à Gatineau.

L'homme de 32 ans, un père de famille qui était col bleu pour la ville, a ensuite chuté de son engin, qui roulait à une vitesse d'environ 100 km/h au moment de l'impact.

Ce tragique coup du destin est survenu près de l'aéroport de Gatineau.

La victime a été transportée au centre hospitalier, où son décès a été constaté peu après. Une cinquantaine de travailleurs et collègues de la victime lui ont rendu hommage lors d'une brève cérémonie, aujourd'hui.

For those of you who don't read french, here is a little translation:

Motocyclist died yesterday hit my a lightning

The unlucky guy was driving on highway 50 west, when he was suddently strucked by a lightning yesterday afternoon at Gatineau ( this is north of Montreal )

The 32 years old guy, was the father of a familly, and he wss working for the city, felled after from his bike, he was going at about 60 mph when he was hit.

That happen close to the airport

They bring him to the hospital where they declared him dead. About 50 co workers went to the ceremony today.....

 

[dbvolfan]

Saw not too long ago when a biker got struck in CO and killed as well. I commute daily on the bikes regardless of the weather (highly recommend the Nelson Rigg XR-3 BTW) and have been in some nasty storms while riding. Guess I need to be a little more considerate of the conditions.

 

[Barabus]

My impression was that the rubber tires would protect you from lighting? Since you are not grounded. I guess I am wrong?

 

[cctxfjr]

My impression was that the rubber tires would protect you from lighting? Since you are not grounded. I guess I am wrong?

dont know about bikes but we had an 18 wheeler that struck a high voltage transformer and the current blew through the tire at the steel plies, the rubber was blown away and the steel plys melted on the part of the tire touching the ground. You might be all right with bias tires but it was apparent the steel plys conducted the current and the rubber was not thick enough to prevent a short to ground

 

[85turbo]

in lightning strikes on vehicles, its not the tires that potect the ocupants.

its the "faraday cage" effect. the steel cage surrounding you, conducts the electrical

discharge to ground around the people in the car.

check this link. it explains things better than i can.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVIQH1EeJOs

jason

 

[Bearly Flying]

Was He wearing a Helmet?????????

Thats the only question the Safety Nazi's are going to ask.....

 

[dbvolfan]

in lightning strikes on vehicles, its not the tires that potect the ocupants.its the "faraday cage" effect. the steel cage surrounding you, conducts the electrical

discharge to ground around the people in the car.

check this link. it explains things better than i can.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVIQH1EeJOs

jason

Yep, thats the way I understood it also. I think if for some unknown reason you had your window down in a severe thunderstorm and were tapping the side of the car with your hand while you listened to the Bee Gee's you would get fried if the lightening hit your car.

 

[dcarver]

in lightning strikes on vehicles, its not the tires that potect the ocupants.its the "faraday cage" effect. the steel cage surrounding you, conducts the electrical

discharge to ground around the people in the car.

check this link. it explains things better than i can.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVIQH1EeJOs

jason

Yep, thats the way I understood it also. I think if for some unknown reason you had your window down in a severe thunderstorm and were tapping the side of the car with your hand while you listened to the Bee Gee's you would get fried if the lightening hit your car.

Yep, the BeeGees will kill ya every time.

 

[Barabus]

in lightning strikes on vehicles, its not the tires that potect the ocupants.its the "faraday cage" effect. the steel cage surrounding you, conducts the electrical

discharge to ground around the people in the car.

check this link. it explains things better than i can.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVIQH1EeJOs

jason

That was a great video, thanks. The end, which I will not give away, was completely unexpected. I would have guessed opposite.

 

[Fencer]

Soooo, what if you are in a fiberglass car (ie corvette) rather than a metal car?

 

[dabayliner]

:aaskull:

 

[pickax]

All bets are off with lightning, it connects with ground and rips up anything in its way up. Seen some strange and terrible lightning injuries through the years. Tires or fiberglass won't protect you from a hit. Also have had some close calls offshore.

 

[weekend rider]

That guy in the film is a bigger ***** than I could ever imagine. The test he used was not valid and included allthat takes place in a storm. Electricity seeks the path of least resistance to ground but it should be all paths of least resistance to ground. Voltage has been measured at 100,000volts from lighting strikes

. Cars of any type are not rated for voltage nor are tires. Just think if that would have been a lighting hitting the window now what? Or hitting the road first than hitting the car he would have been toast.Where is the water that comes from a storm that is on a car running off on to the road?

If you believe this to be a safe way to be insulated from a bolt of lighting you are dead wrong.

I have seen to many safety films about lighting storms and seen what they do to a human, not a pretty picture..

You do not believe me ask your local power company or an electrical engineer..

I have seen a picture when an electrician touched a 6900 volt line with insulated pliers rated for 1000 volts. It blew his right arm off his left leg and finally excited out his back leaving abig hole

.

weekend rider still alive and been hit with less

 

[85turbo]

seems some people dont understand the concept of the Faraday cage.

here is more info. i personally would stand inside one and volunteer to be struck by lightning.

no im not crazy. it's safe as long as you are not touching anything metal inside the cage.

ampother example is what happens when lightning strikes a plane. the people inside the

aircraft are not electrocuted. aircraft get struck by lightning many times a week, and it seldom causes

and problems with the aircraft, let alone the people inside.

here are more links.



and

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage

jason

 

[VMax_03]

[quote ampother example is what happens when lightning strikes a plane. the people inside the

aircraft are not electrocuted. aircraft get struck by lightning many times a week, and it seldom causes

and problems with the aircraft, let alone the people inside.

I got hit by lightning in RVN once while flying a fully loaded Huey gunship. It didn't hurt the aircraft, but it salvoed (48) 2.75" rockets over a city I happened to be pointed at. Glad I wasn't in a nose-down attitude at the time :blink:

JW

 

[S76]

Our aircraft at work get hit by lightining from time to time. It's very odd in that it will only leave a little mark where the plane gets hit, but we have seen 6 inch holes where the lightning exits the aircraft. Usually in the wing tip or tail section. The passengers and crew are never affected and sometimes don't even know it happened. What suprises me is all of the radio and computerized equipment never seems to get harmed.

 

[nmanley]

ampother example is what happens when lightning strikes a plane. the people inside theaircraft are not electrocuted. aircraft get struck by lightning many times a week, and it seldom causes

and problems with the aircraft, let alone the people inside.

I got hit by lightning in RVN once while flying a fully loaded Huey gunship. It didn't hurt the aircraft, but it salvoed (48) 2.75" rockets over a city I happened to be pointed at. Glad I wasn't in a nose-down attitude at the time :blink:

JW

Bet those smoke trails looked like limp spaghetti flying thru the air.

 

[Flyguy]

Vmax 03 wrote:

I got hit by lightning in RVN once while flying a fully loaded Huey gunship. It didn't hurt the aircraft, but it salvoed (48) 2.75" rockets over a city I happened to be pointed at. Glad I wasn't in a nose-down attitude at the time JW

I'll bet that got some attention!! Can we ask what city you spared?

 

[VMax_03]

Vmax 03 wrote:

I got hit by lightning in RVN once while flying a fully loaded Huey gunship. It didn't hurt the aircraft, but it salvoed (48) 2.75" rockets over a city I happened to be pointed at. Glad I wasn't in a nose-down attitude at the time JW

I'll bet that got some attention!! Can we ask what city you spared?

Vinh Long in the Delta south of Saigon