Teen Seriously Injured by Lightning in Central Park

A 15-year-old boy sustained serious injuries after being struck by lightning in Central Park on Thursday afternoon. According to authorities, the incident occurred around 3:40 p.m. near 101st Street and Fifth Avenue.

The boy was standing beside a tree that was struck by lightning when the electrical current traveled through his metal chain, causing him to fall. Emergency services rushed him to New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he remained alert and conscious, in stable condition. He suffered minor burns from the lightning strike.

Lightning strikes are relatively common, with approximately 40 million hitting the ground across the United States annually. However, the likelihood of any individual being struck remains very low, less than one in a million. Over the years, more than 90% of those struck by lightning survive, though between 2006 and 2021, 444 Americans lost their lives in such incidents.