TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa police say a man was taken to the hospital Saturday after he was struck by lightning while rafting on the Courtney Campbell Causeway.
Officers said two men were on a raft when they believe one of them was struck in the left arm. After he was struck he fell from the raft, according to police.
A nearby jet skier grabbed the man and brought him to shore, according to investigators. He was then taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police said the other man on the raft also made it back to shore safely.
Earlier this summer, two men – trying to leave Clearwater Beach when a storm rolled in – were also struck by lightning. A teen was also hurt after he was struck on Siesta Key Beach.
Florida State University said the Tampa Bay area is a frequent spot for lightning strikes in Florida, and the chance of being struck by lightning in the Sunshine State is 1 in 3,000 over the course of a lifetime. The National Weather Service says the odds nationally are 1 in 15,300 over an 80-year lifetime.
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