Weather conditions heavily influence the outcome of a round of golf. Temperature can alter the ball's compression, while wind can greatly affect its trajectory.
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For one golfer in Oregon, inclement weather nearly turned fatal.
While golfing at The Oregon Golf Club in West Linn on Saturday, a man was struck by lightning.
Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue confirmed the incident, saying the golfer was alone and outside his golf cart when the storm rolled in. He was hit by lightning but regained consciousness and was able to call for help, the agency said.
"He stated that he recalled holding the club, but from there doesn't recall much," VF&R Captain Ryan Stenhouse said, per KGW.
Golfer in Stable Condition After Lightning Strike
The man, who has not been identified publicly, suffered one entry wound and two exit wounds from the lightning strike, according to the outlet. He was transported to the burn center at Legacy Emanuel in Portland in stable condition.
"Shaken, scared, nervous as you can imagine," said Stenhouse of the injured man's condition after the incident, per KGW.
Stenhouse has served on the fire and rescue squad for decades. However, this was his first encounter with a lightning-strike victim.
"I gotta be honest, this is the first time I've been on a lightning strike. So it's new to all of us. It's pretty uncommon," Stenhouse told Fox 12. "To have an individual struck and to be in the condition that he was in, you know, is remarkable."
Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue public information officer Stefan Myers added that it's "extremely rare" for a person to be struck by lightning.
"A call like this, given the amount of electricity that's coming from a lightning strike, oftentimes can be fatal, if not extremely damaging," Myers told West Linn Tidings. "We're extremely grateful that this individual was transported in stable condition."
From 2006 through 2021, there were 444 lightning strike deaths in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
About 40 million lightning strikes hit the ground in the United States each year. The odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are less than one in a million.
Amazingly, roughly 90 percent of all lightning strike victims survive.
