A man is in critical condition in Montreal after he was struck by lightning Monday evening while standing under a tree, but a doctor says he may survive thanks to an apparent stranger’s intervention.
Roman Cypryuski witnessed the direct strike from the balcony of his apartment in Rosemont.
Cypryuski said he noticed the man “looking peaceful” while standing under a tree, smoking a cigarette and holding onto a bicycle.
It was around 6 p.m., there were only a few clouds in the sky, and the rain had just started to fall.
“Suddenly I hear ‘pow’ and I see this flash (of) light from the top of the tree to the bottom,” said Cypryuski.
The man immediately fell down and apparently went into cardiac arrest.
That’s when the unnamed woman ran out and started chest compressions.
Paramedics soon arrived, took over the CPR and transported the 32-year-old victim to a hospital.
McGill University Cardiologist Ashok Oommen said the woman’s “timely intervention” would have “kept his heart and lungs flowing with blood.”
Dr. Oommen added that standing under tall objects like trees is among the most dangerous things people do during storms.
Instead, he said people should go indoors during lightning storms or, as a last resort, crouch down low.
Environment Canada Meteorologist Andre Cantin said that more than 100 people in Canada are struck by lightning each year and that about 10 of them die.
With a report from CTV Montreal
