CK Hamilton is the Product Engineering Manager for the Talos™ Lightning Detector. He is very passionate about this product because he has witnessed first hand the effects of a lightning strike that caused death. Here is his story.

CK’s Personal Testimony

I know first hand how dangerous lightning is and why lightning safety is very important. About 37 years ago, I was at a high school football practice and going through standard football drills on the practice field. It was a typical day of practice in Florida. The sun was shining and there was not a cloud in sight. As we were practicing, a loud boom occurred! It sounded like a bomb detonated. All of my teammates ran to the locker room to take shelter, which was approximately 200 yards away from the practice field.

We were all sitting in the locker room discussing the loud lightning boom and how scary the whole situation was. I vividly remember saying how close a call it was. Moments later, someone noticed Wesley (one of the football players) was missing from the locker room. The equipment manager went to the practice field to look for Wesley. Tragically, he was found deceased. He was hit directly by lightning. It was such a tragedy that affected the whole community. We were all in shock! Wesley was so young and gone too soon. His future was taken from him with one strike of lightning. If we would have had a lightning detector at our football practice that day, it could possibly have saved his life.

Lightning Safety Tips

• Once lightning is detected, postpone outdoor activities immediately.
• Go inside a completely enclosed building.
• Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before resuming outdoor activities.

Many more tips can be found at: https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-sports