Overview

• The strike occurred around 3:43 p.m. Thursday in Central Park’s East Meadow near Fifth Avenue and 100th Street.
• Police say the victim was approximately 15 years old at the time of the incident.
• Witnesses and officers reported the teenager was alert and conscious before emergency crews transported him to the hospital.
• Less than one in a million individuals are struck by lightning, though more than 90% of those hit survive.
• The United States averages about 40 million ground strikes annually and recorded 444 lightning fatalities between 2006 and 2021, according to the CDC.