Worker struck by lightning now at Huntsville Hospital

Published 5:16 pm Friday, July 6, 2018

A construction worker was critically injured Friday when he was struck by lightning while walking near the new Athens High School.

A storm had popped up shortly before lightning struck at the school site, located between Dexter Street and U.S. 31 North, said a worker at the scene. The victim, who has not been named by officials, is an employee of Artisan Masonry of Huntsville.

The victim was rounding a corner of the building, walking in an open area when lightning struck him and he fell to the ground, an official said. The 911 call came in around 1:40 p.m. with reports that the worker was not breathing. Athens Fire & Rescue personnel from Station 1 were on the scene in minutes and began CPR.

Emergency medical technicians treated him at the scene, including wrapping him in a Lucas vest to administer continuous chest compressions, before taking him to Athens-Limestone Hospital via ambulance. He was later transferred to Huntsville Hospital.

An employee at Artisan Masonry said the company could not disclose the victim’s name or comment on the accident at this time. Without a name, the victim’s condition was not available from the hospital.

About the site

The area where the accident occurred consists of one wing of the new school and an otherwise bare construction site. There are no trees or buildings other than the school near the spot where lightning struck.

This is not the first accident to occur since construction began. Last August, a construction worker fell 15 to 20 feet from a section of the school but later recovered. Vertical construction of the new $55 million school began in March 2017. Officials hope it will be completed by August.