One Jason Bunch was listening to Metallica on his iPod while mowing the lawn outside his Castle Rock (Colorado) home Sunday afternoon when lightning hit him.
Ars Technica’s Jacqui Cheng reports that “the teen’s ears, face, and neck were burned along where his iPod’s cord was hanging, all the way down to his hip where the iPod was. The reasoning that Mr. Bunch and his mother are using to connect the iPod with the lightning strike is a little bit of a stretch, though. They claim that the iPod is what attracted the lightning to him, as there were taller things around him (such as trees) that were not struck. Experts, however, disagree with this reasoning:”
“There is no scientific evidence to show that lightning is ‘attracted’ to items like an iPod. However, if someone wearing earbuds is struck, current may travel along the wires into the ears,” said Gregory Stewart of the Denver-based Lightning Reference Center… Objects such as loose change in victims’ pockets have left first- and second-degree burns after a lightning strike, Stewart said.
“Rest assured, loyal iPod users, that listening to your iPod out in the middle of a lightning storm isn’t going to increase your chances of being struck by lightning,” Cheng reports.
Full article with links, photo of the scorched teen, and a bit about Cheng’s “dull hope that this media bubble around Mr. Bunch and his lightning-struck iPod doesn’t turn into some crazy lawsuit against Apple for manufacturing electronic killing machines that play awesome music,” here.
MacDailyNews Take: Bunch and his mother believe the iPod acted as an antenna, drawing the lightning to him, thereby giving a whole new meaning to the word “dumbstruck.”
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What was this kid doing mowing the lawn during a lightning storm? What a tool.
What a JackAss!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a dumbf*ck!!!!
Just a few weeks ago we had a motorcycle rider struck by lightning in Colorado during his afternoon drive home. I never did find out if it was the lightning or the crash that killed him but I would definitely have to blame Yamaha for making a motorcycle that attracts lightning. Perhaps he had a Windows laptop in his saddlebag?
Listening to Metallica? Must have been an act of God…
He should play the lottery. He has a good chance of wining now.
MORON!!!!!!!!! Has nothing to do with the big metal lawnmower with moving blades creating static!
Can an iPod’s volume be set high enough to drown out the sound of thunder?
In other news: large piles of shit proven to attract large bolts of lightning.
Wow. At least I could understand if it was an iRiver…
Malthus had it right … an Act Of God, a warning to all those who would listen to Metallica – especially while using power tools such as a lawn mower. The burns along the route between the buds and the iPod? Duh! The metal heated up while helping the dufus by routing the electricity around, rather than through his body.
stableos, I’ve never ridden a bike – from my first single-speed through my last rice-burner – that would provide a path between my head and the road. There’s always that last inch (or two, or three) of rubber in between. I can certainly see how a near-strike could both leave burns and cause you to lose control of your bike, your bowels, your mind … and think you were actually struck, if you survived.
Someone please notify the DNA police, to make sure this person’s license to reproduce is quickly revoked.
I wonder if he was listening to their second album, “Ride The Lightening”?
Blatant Off-Topic Post:
Today, July 7th, 2001 Apple discontinued the Cube. Worst day in history ever!
Oh his still alive???? for a minute there i thought the US had one less gas attendant.
er…ummm, I mean, “Ride The Lightning”…
Metallica? Ride The Lightening indeed.
I do hope he is feeling better and fully recovers. That would be a terrible thing to happen to get hit by lightening.
——–
Why people here would make fun of another´s person´s misfortune and gloat over his injury I have no idea. Some of you people need to readjust your thinking.
This only happened because there wasn’t a “CAUTION: THIS DEVICE MAY ATTRACT LIGHTNING!” sticker…
Wait until the new microsoft player comes out. I predict earthquakes, floods, and fits of pique.
instead of looking for someone/something to blame for their own stupidity they should be thanking the stars above that they survived the ordeal!! not to mention that he now has bragging rights (“Lookit! I wuz struck by lightnin’!”) and needn’t worry about being struck by lightning again…. that is unless you’re stupid enough to mow the lawn in the face of another oncoming storm.
Yeah, and New Orleans got hit by Katrina because
the storm was attracted to crawfish, gumbo, and
cross-dressers.
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Clearly Metallica should be hold responsible for this, not Apple.
“Today, July 7th, 2001 Apple discontinued the Cube.”
Wait a minute! You’re telling me the last 5 years of my life were one long dream? Thank God. I think I’ll go to New York and visit the World Trade Center. You’re not going to believe the nightmare I had!
I was struck by lightning while listening to my iPod, too! I remember I heard God saying “Give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasures in Heaven.” So I did, but dagnabit, it was only Art on the walkie-talkie saying “Give me some more, and I’ll shout when it measures eleven.” That’ll learn me to listen to my iPod while feeding cable in from the roof during a thunderstorm….