May 5, 2007
Dad blames mobile phone for lightning strike that killed son
Lightning which struck and killed a 29-year-old soldier in Ireland may have been attracted by his mobile phone, his father told an inquest yesterday, reports The Belfast Telegraph.
"I have done research on lightning and apparently it is attracted to mobile phones", said his father, Captain Bob Stephenson.
"I don't know if this goes as far as mobile phones that aren't in use, but they certainly always give off a signal when they are switched on. Carl wasn't using his phone at the time but it may have attracted the lightning just because it was switched on. This is something that needs to be looked at.
Previous incidents reported in textually:
-- Mobile phone users warned of lightning strike risk - People should not use mobile phones outdoors during thunderstorms because of the risk of being struck by lightning, doctors said.
-- Cell phone could have led to death of tourist on Great Wall /August 2005) - A mobile phone could have led to the death of a 25-year-old Greek tourist who was struck by a bolt of lightening on the Great Wall near Beijing.
-- Man Talking on Cell Phone Dies From Lightning (August 2004) - man talking on a mobile phone died after being struck by lighting in Changhung, South Cholla Province, on Monday. Such a death is the first of its kind in South Korea.
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