Man hit by lightning while inside house

ABOUT 30,000 lightning strikes were recorded around south-east Queensland during last Thursday night’s storm – and one of them managed to hit Ipswich resident Brian Buckley.

The 34-year-old Raceview resident was inside his Thornton Street home when lightning struck his house and hit him while he was hanging up clothes in his wardrobe just after 7pm.

Mr Buckley said he received a shock up his arm that left him struggling for breath and his heart beating irregularly.

“I just heard a loud noise, a big crack, and my arm felt like it was on fire,” Mr Buckley said.

“It all happened so quickly – I felt the shock go through my arm and hit my chest.

“My whole body felt in pain, I couldn’t breathe for a few seconds and I was just left in shock. It was the scariest thing I’ve every experienced.

“I tried shouting out but no one could hear me. When I got my breath back I called the ambulance straight away.”

Queensland Ambulance Service Paramedics took Mr Buckley straight to the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Hospital in Brisbane following the incident.

The hospital confirmed Mr Buckley was admitted to their Emergency Department before being checked-out the next day.

He said his heart was back to normal but he still had no feeling in his right arm.

“I’ve just got a tingling feeling down my arm and I can’t feel anything,” he said.

“I’m feeling better now, but I’m still a bit shook up.

“Now when I see a storm approaching I feel a bit funny – it was a really scary experience and something I don’t want to happen ever again.”

He said he would like to thank the ambulance officers and QEII hospital staff who helped him after his ordeal.

“The ambulance came very quickly and they were great; I’d really like to thank them for all they did, same with the nurses and doctors at the hospital.”

He said he would be visiting the hospital again today for further check-ups.

Last Thursday’s storm dumped 67 millimetres of rain and caused hundreds of black-outs all over Ipswich and the Lockyer Valley.