LIGHTNING, apparently, is less lethal than it used to be. In England and Wales, the average annual number of fatalities decreased from 20 in the 1850s to 13 by the end of the 19th century; it had fallen to 10 by the 1940s and 50s, and reached its present level of slightly less than four in the 1980s. There is no reason to believe that the pattern in Ireland to be different.
As one might suspect there is no meteorological evidence to suggest that the fall in numbers is due to any decrease in thunderstorm activity. There has been, however, a marked decrease in the number of farm workers over the years and these were frequent victims of the lightning strikes in previous decades.
On the other hand, recent times have seen an increase in the number of persons involved in walking, hill climbing, golf and other outdoor sports, and no doubt statisticians will watch closely to see if this trend has any effect on fatality rates in coming years. Golfers, in particular, are vulnerable in the right - or wrong - conditions, as two spectacular examples may serve to illustrate.
One occurred exactly 21 years ago today on June 27th, 1975. Lee Trevino, playing in the prestigious Western Open Golf Championship in Chicago, sat down on the edge of a green beside a lake to wait", for a very heavy shower to pass. Suddenly, and without warning, he was thrown into the air by a bolt of lightning. The surge, it was deduced afterwards, had flashed off the surface of the lake, shot through the metal shaft of a club that he was holding, passed up his arm, and then made its exit through the golfer's back. Happily, the injuries were not serious although one shoulder was badly burned and gave him pain for several years, Trevino and his golf were soon up to scratch again.
The second salutary tale concerns an occurrence nearer home. April 7th, 1984 was a warm and humid day at Baltray Golf Links, north of Dublin. As three golfers walked down the fifth fairway in a heavy hail shower, golf bags on their shoulders, one of them was struck by lightning. The injuries on this occasion were severe.
The victim experienced extensive burns, lost parts of three fingers on his right hand, suffered ruptured eardrums and several perforations of the lower bowel - these last presumed to have been caused by a rapid expansion of gas inside as the current surged throughout his body. Happily in this case also, the victim was able to resume his game a few months later - but lucky escapes like these are not necessary par for any course.