[imagesource: Isobel Jobson]
Some people go to extreme lengths to get the ultimate selfie worthy of all the likes on social media.
But something tells me that wasn’t exactly what three siblings – Rachel, Isobel, and Andrew Jobson – were thinking when they posed under a tree during heavy rain last week.
The trio had been cycling and decided to take a break under a tree near Hampton Court Palace in South London, reports PetaPixel, using the short pause as an opportunity to take a selfie.
Things didn’t exactly go according to plan, and lightning struck:
“The picture of us at the moment the lightning strike happened was at 17:05,” Isobel, 23 and a PhD student [said].
“I took a picture of us smiling and we then wanted a sad picture in the rain. All of a sudden I was on the ground and couldn’t hear anything apart from this high-pitched buzzing. My whole right arm was numb and I couldn’t move it.”
“We were taking the picture with our phone and then the next thing, I was on the ground. I felt disjointed. My sister and I were screaming,” Rachel said.
“I got burnt on my thigh and stomach and it’s left lightning-like marks behind on me and my sister. I couldn’t feel my arm.”
Behold the bizarre moment:
The marks Rachel refers to are known as Lichtenberg figures:
Thankfully, some people were nearby when the lightning struck, helping the siblings to their feet and calling the paramedics who then took them to St. George’s Hospital in Tooting.
All three sustained some injuries, but Andrew was more “stunned by the incident than physically harmed”.
Isobel had it the worst, as doctors believe her arm, which had a titanium plate implant from a previous cycling accident, was the reason the lightning ended up surging through their bodies:
Rachel said: “My sister’s arm was very hot, because of the plate. Everyone was amazed at what had happened to us.”
Besides some light-headedness for Rachel and a sore wrist for Isobel, the trio seem to have made it through the worst.
Now they can lay claim to having one of the most badass selfies out there.
[source:petapixel]
