Lightning survivor 'came close to death'
Raymond Galusha, who came back from a heart attack, a stroke and being run over by a plane, says, "I've been shocked, but nothing like this."
By KEVIN GRAHAM
Published July 10, 2006
TAMPA - When doctors used a defibrillator to revive Raymond Galusha after a heart attack 10 years ago, he said it felt like someone had dropped a safe on his chest.
But nothing compared to the shock of his life Saturday, when lightning bounced off a railroad track, traveled through a nearby pickup truck then hit Galusha as he sat in his car waiting for the train to pass.
"When I could not bring a breath in, I thought I just got killed," Galusha, 51, said Sunday at Tampa General Hospital. "This actually grabs you and holds you. You can't let go. You start wondering if you're going to make it."
The electricity entered through Galusha's left thumb, index and middle fingers as he tapped on the metal of his car door through a crack in the window. He was heading to his Riverview home just after 7 p.m. Saturday in a heavy drizzle with no lightning in sight.
The CSX train engine had stalled, rocking back and forth on the track for several minutes before finally passing through the crossing near 8611 Hickory Lane. Galusha turned off the engine in his Pontiac Sunbird as he waited. So had the man in the Ford F-350 pickup in front of him.
As the train finally moved across the tracks, Galusha said the lightning bolt hit the train's engine. It instantly heated the track beneath to a glowing bright orange.
He saw a spark jump from the track to the bumper of the pickup and from the pickup's trailer hitch ball to his car.
Then it jumped to the Chevrolet Impala behind him, knocking the woman inside out of her car.
"I've been shocked before, but nothing like this," Galusha said. "You could actually feel the heat through you."
As the electricity traveled up Galusha's left arm to his shoulder, he lost his vision and his speech. His tongue swelled and his muscles tightened so much, he couldn't take his hand off the steering wheel.
"It felt like my hand was being crushed and everything went white," he said. "I could only hear the bell of the railroad crossing."
The man from the truck rushed back and knocked on Galusha's window to see if he was okay. Galusha nodded "yes," and the man ran to help the woman from the Impala, who was lying on the ground. Galusha said the man took her to a nearby hospital.
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue spokesman Ray Yeakley said he had no reports on the woman because paramedics did not transport her.
Galusha lives 1,000 yards beyond the railroad crossing, off U.S. 41 near the Alafia River. He knew he needed help, but he couldn't call 911 because his cell phone was fried. And the man from the truck was gone.
"I tried to lean on my horn in hopes that someone would hear me," he said.
The lighting had fried it, too.
He could barely overcome the numbness. He had to use his toes to press the gas pedal and brakes. Galusha made it home, where a family friend came to his rescue, calling paramedics.
On Sunday, Galusha said his arms felt like they were on fire, his tongue was still swollen and his back ached, as if someone had whacked him across it with a baseball bat. He planned to go home from the hospital later in the afternoon.
"I have hobbies that are dangerous, but I've never done everything right and came so close to death as I did," Galusha said.
He goes scuba diving and kayaking regularly. He's a Vietnam veteran who said he was accidentally run over by a plane while in the Navy in mid 1970s. A retired engineer who said he helped build the space shuttle Columbia, Galusha said he suffered a stroke last year.
None of that has stopped him from doing what he loves, and neither will this. He's already thinking about his next kayaking trip. But there was one thing higher on his to-do list.
"I'm going to buy a lottery ticket when I get out of here," he said.
Kevin Graham can be reached at 813 226-3433 or kgraham@sptimes.com.
How many lightning bolts hit the ground in the average storm around here?
In a typical 20-minute storm, there could be 100 or more.
Why is this area known as the Lightning Capital of the nation?
Between 1990 and 2003, there were 128 deaths caused by lightning, making Florida No. 1 in the country. Florida has 100 thunderstorms yearly, more than any other state.
If you're in a car in a storm, what should you do?
Automobiles are pretty safe when it comes to lightning, said Nick Petro, senior forecaster for the National Weather Service in Ruskin. When lightning strikes an automobile, its goal is to connect to the earth as fast as it can. Since metal is a conductor, the lightning travels around the metal frame of the car and finds the lowest point to exit, usually the wheels.
What percentage of lightning strikes are fatal?
Ten percent. But once someone is struck, they are rarely the same. They have to deal with effects like memory loss, constant fatigue, weird sensations and nerve damage.
When is the best time to seek shelter when a storm is approaching?
When you see lightning, count the time until you hear thunder. If the time is 30 seconds or less, go to a safer place. If you can't see the lightning, just hearing the thunder is a sign to take cover.
Does lightning strike the same place or person more than once?
Lightning can strike the same place or person numerous times.
What does lightning do when it hits a person?
Lightning is trying to find its way to the ground as fast and efficiently as possible. It wants to take the path of least resistance. If a person is struck, quite often the bolt will travel along the skin and exit close to the ground. The more intense and hotter the bolt, the more damage.
Are men more likely to get hit by lightning?
Yes. Men make up 84 percent of lightning victims, according to a National Lightning Institute study, which analyzed the last 35 years of deaths and injuries by lightning.
How far away from a storm can lightning strike?
Lightning has been known to strike more than 10 miles from the storm in an area of clear sky above.
Information from the National Weather Association, National Lightning Institute, National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.