Boy, man struck by lightning at Echo Point in Blue Mountains
Two people have been rushed to hospital following ‘a terrifying experience’ in which they were struck by lightning at a popular Blue Mountains tourist spot.
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A teen boy and a man have been struck by lightning at a popular Katoomba tourist spot.
A 16-year-old boy and 24 year-old man were both hit at the same time at the top of the historic Giant Stairway near the Echo Point (Three Sisters) lookout, a NSW Ambulance spokesman said.
“The boy suffered exit and entry wounds to the arms and feet; he was on the entryway when it happened,” the spokesman said.
He also had burns to his torso.
The man was leaning on the metal railing leading down into the Jamison Valley when he was struck.
Emergency services responded shortly before 2pm.
Both the boy and man were treated on scene and taken to Nepean Hospital by road ambulance.
They are both in a stable condition.
NSW Ambulance duty operations manager Inspector Greg Marshall said the pair was very lucky.
“This is an extraordinary circumstance, being struck by lightning is a terrifying experience,” he said. “Paramedics had to work quickly at the scene – they want to get in there and do whatever needs to be done to save a life, often putting their own safety as risk.
“How you react to being hit by lightning depends on the circumstances and where you have been hit – most people however will go into cardiac arrest so those first moments of CPR are vital.
“Considering the circumstances, it was incredibly lucky that they were both in stable conditions. They’re lucky to be alive.”
He said this wasn’t the first time this year NSW Ambulance paramedics have been called to a job involving reports of someone being struck by lightning.
“Two people were struck within minutes of each other at Arcadia and Dee Why on January 6,” Insp Marshall said.