Diver killed by lightning in FL

[trigfunctions]

Deerfield beach is missleading. It happened on the pompano balls, at a site called the nursery. I was underwater with 8 students, 3 balls over when it happened... scary...

I was in the area at that time too. Were you out with Parrot Island Scuba?

 

[underwasser bolt]

Well done!!

Thanks, and sorry for getting out of line. I saw the next reply. It's a Texan thing, don't you know; I always stick up for my fellow rogue.

 

[lamont]

probably not expentially, but at least 1/r^2 as the diameter of the sphere increases.

no, 1/r^2 would assume it wasn't dissipating, it also will dissipate exponentially traveling into the material even without 1/r^2 losses.

 

[DandyDon]

Thanks, and sorry for getting out of line. I saw the next reply. It's a Texan thing, don't you know; I always stick up for my fellow rogue.

I think I've been misspelling lightning forever - glad I learned this today....!

 

[underwasser bolt]

no, 1/r^2 would assume it wasn't dissipating, it also will dissipate exponentially traveling into the material even without 1/r^2 losses.

good point, and I agree. there is a definate 1/r^2 loss, plus more due to fricitional losses. In an amorphous material such a water, those frictional losses may be very difficult to model. Exponential decay on top of the 1/r^2 may be correct, but the overall loss then would be much greater than just exponential. These losses could approach a 1/r^3 or even 1/r^4 model; maybe a 1/r^2 + e to the minus losses. The point is,energy would dissipate fast. good point.

 

[Whitelightnin]

Well, I don't know about the "exponential something or other" or about the "1^/ whatever" but I do know that last year, I was diving with my son & a student when lightning hit the lake about 100 yards from where we were. It passed up all them TALL, TALL trees around the shore & hit the low, low water in the cove. We all were "jolted" pretty good. I had a headache for a couple of hours & my tounge tingled for a while.

Even though we were about 100 yards away from where it hit, IT STILL HURT!!!
My daughter, the smart one who skipped that dive because of the storm clouds WAY, WAY, WAY off, was sitting in the vehicle when she saw it hit the water. She is related to her mother so, of course, as soon as we got out of the water, said "I TOLD YOU SO". Sometimes I can't stand smart kids.

Now, I don't dive if it even LOOKS like it is even THINKING about lightning.

James

 

[letsgodiving]

I was diving with my son & a student when lightning hit the lake about 100 yards from where we were. It passed up all them TALL, TALL trees around the shore & hit the low, low water in the cove. We all were "jolted" pretty good. I had a headache for a couple of hours & my tounge tingled for a while.

Even though we were about 100 yards away from where it hit, IT STILL HURT!!!
James

I presume it was a fresh water lake?

I was told that the human body is a better conductor than fresh water, so you would feel the jolt. In salt water the path of least resistance is the water so you don't feel too much.

Maybe the information I have read was wrong.....and to tell you the truth I never want to find out for sure.

 

[Mr. Bubble]

Just to shead light on the subject, lightning struck my swimming pool two years ago (noone swimming). Instead of a big whole in the side or bottom of the pool, it made millions of little pin holes all the way around the lining, about 12 inches below the water surface. Thus, the waterline was reduced by one foot, and I had to replace the liner. My point is, that the example on the lake (being jolted away from the strike), and my swimming pool suggest that when lightning hits water, it dispates lateraly, and not down.

This is just my observation, and not intended to advise anyone on how to avoid lightning strikes, or the safety of being in the water during a storm. I will be OOTW and inside.

My condolences to all for their loss.

 

[tridacna]

If the article was true I think the lightning was secondary and the Oxygen tank prolly did the job.

He had an Oxygen tank? Was this a deco dive? How many tanks did he have? This is new information. Where did you find that out?

 

[letsgodiving]

It's blocked here for very good reason. You can't believe anything
Wow! But then, lightning (no e) can strike 10 miles from a storm, some say 20. Still odd that you took such a hit 100 yards from the strike, but there are branches off of bolts at times. How deep were you?

Lightning struck an Oak tree about 100 feet from my house four years ago. We lost about $3,000 of electrical equipment in our house as a result; garage door opener; router; TV; DVR; VHS; Phones etc