# Lightning strikes **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 8, 2000, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lightning-strikes/18893 "2000-05-08T09:35:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![projecttwilight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dbc845/32.png) [@projecttwilight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/projecttwilight)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lightning-strikes/18893/1 "2000-05-08T09:35:06Z")
Electrocution occurs when an unfortunate winds up acting as a conductor in an electric current, right? So what would happen if someone got struck by lightning during, say, a parachute jump where they were not grounded? Would they still be electrocuted? Would they feel a jolt and otherwise be unharmed? or something else entirly? ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lightning-strikes/18893/2 "2000-05-08T12:01:50Z")
I suppose that the problem is analagous to jetliners being struck by lightning. This happens quite often, but the damage is usually slight. The metal body of the plane is a better conductor of electricity than the air is, so the lightning seeks a path through it. I suspect the human body, with or without a parachute, is also a better conductor of electricity than is air. But in this case, I would expect the damage to be more than slight. Metal can conduct a lot of electricity without being harmed. The human body can’t. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lightning-strikes/18893/3 "2000-05-08T12:23:27Z")
I’d suspect that a person falling through the air and struck by lightning would be burned to a crisp by the heat of the spark. ---
**Author:** ![gesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6de8d8/32.png) [@gesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gesh)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lightning-strikes/18893/4 "2000-05-08T12:48:27Z")
If that person was wearing a metal strapped watch then would then then take the full extent of the strike? and would the parachute burn through the heat of the spark? ---
**Author:** ![junebeetle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@junebeetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/junebeetle)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lightning-strikes/18893/5 "2000-05-08T12:53:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > If that person was wearing a metal strapped watch then would then then take the full extent of the strike? and would the parachute burn through the heat of the spark? > \*\* Hmm … good question. Let’s try it and find out. Any sky divers out there willing to volunteer? -JB ---
**Author:** ![gesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6de8d8/32.png) [@gesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gesh)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lightning-strikes/18893/6 "2000-05-08T13:06:22Z")
Highly unlikely junebeetle, but you never know!! Will you only be struck by lightning if you were in it’s direct path(whilst parachuting that is) and how is it’s path determined? ---
**Author:** ![Satchmo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/satchmo/32/4223_2.png) [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lightning-strikes/18893/7 "2000-05-08T14:29:24Z")
It seems to me this would be a very rare occurance, if you think about it. Except in an emergency situation, who would parachute in a lightning storm? So it may never have happened yet. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2000, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lightning-strikes/18893/8 "2000-05-08T15:01:36Z")
It would be unlikely to strike a parachuter because he’s not grounded. He would basically need to be where the bolt was going to strike anyway, and just happen to get hit. He would not be fried to a crisp any more than someone standing on the ground would be fried - a majority of strike victims survive if someone gives CPR, which would be a problem if you’re still gliding to Earth. The bolt might burn a hole through the chute, but it wouldn’t burn the whole thing. People have measured the width of the bolt by placing a non-conducting plastic screen above the tip of a lighning rod. The plastic is melted away where the temp is high enough. The typical bolt is less than an inch in diameter.