The Rossendale Rambler

The coach ramble to Llangollen had been a very wet and muddy affair and it had taken my walking boots several days to dry out; but dry out they did. I started to give them a generous coat of dubbin whilst listening to the radio when I heard the song “Pennies from Heaven” which contained the lyric ”....so when you hear it thunder, don’t run under a tree” - Sound advice, yet many people caught in a sudden thunderstorm unprepared, miles from anywhere, would be tempted to take shelter under a tree. But is this wise ?

Lightning can kill. In 1994, twelve people died in the United Kingdom as a result of lightning strikes.

Most people are used to thunderstorms as they are quite common in mountainous or hilly regions. As every schoolboy or girl knows, the time lag between seeing lightning and hearing thunder indicates the distance of a storm. Each five seconds of the time indicates that the storm is one mile away.

There is an old saying that gives a good clue to the lengths of thunderstorms:- ‘Thunder from the south - long storms. Thunder from the north - short storms.’

Walkers and climbers are especially vulnerable when a thunderstorm is around. A few simple rules can minimise the risk from lightning strikes. Get off the highest part of the hill. Ridges and plateaux attract lightning so avoid them in stormy weather. If shelter cannot be found, crouch down , with feet together, hug the knees to the chest and keep the head well down. Remove spectacles, watches and jewellery. Should you be struck, the current will pass through your body to earth, avoiding vital organs which will greatly increase chances of survival. Under no circumstances seek shelter under a tree. Sheltering in a car is very safe, especially if you avoid touching the sides.

However, being hit by lightning does not mean certain death. Roy Sullivan, from Virginia, USA, was struck seven times. The first time in 1942, he lost a big toe nail; in 1969 he lost his eyebrows after a second strike. One year later, another bolt from the blue seared his left shoulder and in 1972, his hair was set on fire. By the following year his hair had grown back but was burned off again by another strike which also seared his legs. Almost a month before the American bi-centennial, the lightning injured his ankle. Then in 1977 he ended up in hospital after being struck whilst out fishing. ‘The Guinness Book of Records’ does not record whether it was the rod or the human lightning conductor which caught the bolt first.

After such a run of bad luck, you would expect his fortunes to have fared better in other spheres of life but sadly, after involuntarily dicing with death so many times, he finally took his own life after being spurned in love.

If someone in your group is hit by lightning it is safe to touch the patient as the current will not still be passing through the casualty. Treat the patient for shock.

Lay the patient in the recovery position. If the patient has stopped breathing, make sure the airway is clear and start mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. If they have no pulse you should also perform heart massage. Call the emergency services as soon as possible, even if the patient appears unhurt.

In conclusion, there is one golden rule that any walker should always remember : Always, always check the weather forecast before you set out. Not being aware of the forecast should never be an excuse when getting into difficulties.

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