We’ve all been told not to walk outside during a thunderstorm. But one South Carolina man experienced the reason why — and credits his survival to an angel.
Romulus McNeill was leaving work and heading to his car when a bolt of lightning struck the ground right beside him, knocking the umbrella from his hand.
McNeill works as a guidance counselor at The Academy for Technology and Academics. He knew he was taking a risk making a run for his car, but decided to go for it anyway.
“I took a chance and I said, ‘I hope I don’t get struck by lightning,’” said McNeill.
His harrowing near-death experience was caught by security cameras on the campus. The major storm passing through the area had brought torrential rain and an onslaught of lightning.
“Boom, heard a loud noise, I [saw] a bright flash and felt a little static through my body,” said McNeill. “I felt a shock, I was just trying to get home and get something to eat.”
The video shows McNeill crossing the campus on the sidewalk.
Suddenly, lightning strikes the ground, bowling him over and causing him to drop his umbrella. Thankfully, McNeill was only shaken, but unhurt.
However, he doesn’t think it was a mere coincidence that he survived the experience. Instead, McNeill says he believes an angel was watching out for him.
“I’m super blessed,” he said.
“I don’t use the word lucky, I use the word blessed. Lucky is when you hit the lottery, the Powerball. That’s lucky. Blessed is when you come out of a situation and survive. It felt like something did hit me. Something did touch me and I think an angel touched me for sure.”
McNeill says as terrifying as the experience was, it’s not exactly surprising that lightning came his way as he crossed the lawn, considering he had multiple conductors.
“I stepped in water, I had keys in my hand, had a phone in my pocket and I had a little … umbrella in my left hand,” he said.
But all that doesn’t change the simple fact that he’s very lucky to be alive. It’s rare to be struck by lightning, but it’s also rare to be able to say you came within mere inches of being struck.
Your odds of being struck by lightning in your lifetime are about 1 in 3,000.
Of those who are struck, about 10 percent die. However, about 70 percent of the people who survive have long-term health problems. Lightning strikes can cause cardiac arrest, burns, brain damage, memory loss, and personality changes.
Suffice it to say that McNeill knows exactly how lucky he is to have escaped unscathed. But he says he won’t be venturing out into a storm again any time soon.
“If I see any lightning, no matter where I am, I’m gonna spend the night there,” said McNeill. “I’ve learned my lesson.”
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