‘I woke up face down in a puddle’: Altamonte Springs teen recovering, recalls lightning strike scare

By Tony Atkins

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    ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Florida (WESH) — An Altamonte Springs teen said he’s lucky to be alive after a lightning strike on Monday afternoon.

Daniel Sharkey, 17, was doing lawn work for a neighbor, and literally, the next second, he was fighting for his life.

He was finishing up weed whacking in his neighbor’s yard because he saw a storm rolling through.

“I was trying to finish up. I was about to head back to my truck, and suddenly, I woke up face down in a puddle,” Sharkey said.

Seconds later, he was on the ground, and neighbors rushed over to help, even as lightning continued to strike.

“There was no warning. There was no ‘get out of the way.’ It was just instantaneous,” Sharkey said.

Witnesses said he wasn’t struck directly, but because he was so dangerously close, it forced him to fall down, and witnesses say this tree saved his life because it wasn’t a direct strike to the 17-year-old.

“A direct hit is usually fatal, and even a hit like what I took, there’s still a very good chance of a fatality,” he said.

Now, Sharkey is in a room at ORMC with his family and neighbors by his side, emotionally and physically, as he recovers. He’s said he’s thankful to be here to continue helping his neighbors and the Greater Central Florida community through his volunteer work.

As for his yard work earning summer cash, he said he’s not finished.

“I mean, I’ve got 20 people that expect their grass cut, and if not there, I’m sure I’ll have a lot of annoyed customers,” he said.

Surely they’ll understand.

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