A lightning strike that hit Thomas Fahmy, a member of U.S. Representative Nicole Malliotakis's Staten Island office staff, left him temporarily incapacitated but unharmed by visible burns, according to reports.
The incident occurred last Thursday as Fahmy was walking to his car outside his home during a thunderstorm. CCTV footage captured the moment lightning struck him as he held an umbrella, causing him to collapse to the ground. He was able to stagger back to his home to call for assistance.
"It was a very tense, burning sensation. Tingling, numbness, pain - severe pain in both of my feet," Fahmy said in an interview, describing the immediate aftermath.
A neighbor, Stephanie Homan, heard his calls for help and found him on the ground. Fahmy was transported to Northwell Staten Island University Hospital, where he remained overnight for observation before being released the following day. He did not sustain any visible major injuries.
Representative Malliotakis released a statement expressing gratitude for Fahmy's survival. "We are grateful that Thomas, a member of my congressional staff is alive and well after being struck by lightning last week," she stated. "I thank the Good Samaritan who ran to his aid and the medical staff at Staten Island University Hospital who treated him."
Fahmy, who identifies as a man of faith, said the experience altered his perspective on life, emphasizing the importance of appreciating life and not letting it become overwhelming.
Lightning strikes the U.S. approximately 37 million times annually, with the odds of being struck being less than one in a million. Approximately 90 percent of individuals struck by lightning survive. This incident follows a tragic lightning strike in Florida last month that resulted in the deaths of a mother and her two-year-old child.