A Texas man said he plans to install rods on his home after he was struck by lightning while sleeping in his favorite chair.
Cheval Silva of Edwards County said he fell asleep while watching TV with his 5-year-old granddaughter Monday evening and he awoke thinking his house had been shot by a hunter, KSAT-TV, San Antonio, reported Friday.
"Searing pain in my right foot, and when I woke up, I could see the room kind of exploded," he said.
Silva said he scooped up his granddaughter to get her out of harm's way and she quickly pointed out he was on fire.
Silva said emergency responders had a hard time finding his remote ranch, so he and his granddaughter drove out to the highway extension to wait for an ambulance.
The grandfather said he was told a bolt of lightning had entered his body through his shoulder and exited through his foot.
"I'm awful glad my granddaughter is safe and I'm glad I still have my legs, but I'm sure going to miss that chair," said Silva, who suffered some nerve damage.
He said he plans to install lightning rods on his home.
<관련 한글 기사>
집에서 자다가 갑자기 벼락이!
미국 텍사스에서 한 남성이 집에서 의자에 앉아 자다가 벼락을 맞는 황당한 사건이 발생했다고 UPI통신이 보도했다.
에드워드 카운티에 사는 체발 실바 씨는 지난달 30일, 5살난 손녀와 함께 TV를 보다 잠이 들었는데, 갑자기 ‘집이 사냥꾼에 의해 총격을 당한 것과 같은’ 충격을 받고 깨어났다.
오른쪽 발에 화끈거리는 통증을 느끼며 일어난 그는 방안이 ‘폭발한 것 같이’ 보인다는 것을 깨달았다. 실바 씨가 손녀를 끌어안고 안전한 곳으로 대피하는 순간, 그의 손녀는 실바 씨의 몸에 불이 붙었다는 사실을 지적했다.
실바 씨는 구조대원들로부터 번개가 그의 어깨를 통해 들어와 몸을 관통했다는 충격적인 이야기를 들었다. 그러나 그는 놀랍게도 약간의 신경 손상을 입었을 뿐이었다.
실바 씨는 “손녀가 무사해서 매우 다행이고 두 다리를 잃지 않아서 기쁩니다만, (번개로 불타버린) 의자가 그리울 겁니다”라며 집에 피뢰침을 설치할 계획이라고 말했다.
