Fishing and Camping Top Activity List for Lightning Deaths
Men also at much higher risk of lightning strikes than women, says study released for National Lightning Safety Awareness Week.
Jensenius and colleagues at the National Weather Service released a study this week that found that 64 percent of lightning deaths in the U.S. since 2006—152 out of a total of 238 deaths—occurred while people were involved in leisure activities. Of those leisure activities, recreational fishing topped the list with 26 lightning-related deaths.
Camping was next in line with 15 deaths, followed by boating with 14 deaths, soccer with 12 deaths, and golf with 8 deaths. The remaining 77 deaths by lightning occurred among those enjoying a variety of outdoor activities, including swimming, relaxing at the beach, running, walking, riding recreational vehicles, and picnicking. One man died in a parking lot of a NASCAR event in Pennsylvania in August 2012.
Between
