Overview
- Chris Schiavone was struck by lightning while filming a thunderstorm on a Cincinnati-area golf course on Friday, and he reported a non-life-threatening arm injury as he recovers.
- A bystander recording captured the exact moment of the strike and the clip quickly went viral across social platforms and was amplified by meteorologists and news outlets.
- Early accounts said he had sheltered under a tree with an umbrella, but Schiavone later clarified he was standing behind a golf cart and was not holding the umbrella.
- The National Weather Service reiterated that lightning can strike miles from a storm and advised people to seek immediate shelter in a substantial building or a hard-topped vehicle when they hear thunder.
- Officials note about 20 U.S. lightning deaths occur each year and roughly 90 percent of struck people survive but can face long-term effects, a risk highlighted by golf course exposures with few safe shelters.