“How are you still alive?” is a common question I get when I tell people about my first ever snorkelling experience. Their reaction is not because I was in shark infested waters. I was in a river during a storm, but it wasn’t an ordinary storm. It was a tropical thunderstorm and I was hit by lightning, twice, and lived to tell the tale.
It happened in 2003, when I left Surrey to travel to Recife, Brazil and ventured further into the rest of the country with some friends. We headed south to Bonito, a spectacular area of lush forests, beautiful waterfalls and clear rivers, making it popular for snorkelling. We booked an excursion to explore the surrounding waters.
A local tour guide picked us up first thing in the morning and drove us to the edge of a rainforest. It was February, summer in Brazil, and a lovely sunny morning. None of us checked the weather forecast; it never crossed our minds. We assumed our guide would warn us of anything worrying. There was the odd cloud in the sky but nothing to cause concern.
Dressed in knee-length wetsuits and rubber boots, we ventured into the forest, walking along a small pathway that led us through the verdant landscape. It was the epitome of a jungle – overgrown with tropical trees and plants; a popular trekking path that felt protected yet wild.
As we walked toward the waterfall we were buzzing; there was so much excitement in our group. When we arrived at a river bank, next to the waterfall, the guide had us line up, one behind the other. I was second to last and the guide was at the front. We proceeded to enter the water in our linear pattern. Because of the current created by the waterfall, we didn’t need to swim. It was glorious, we just naturally floated down the river.
The ease of snorkelling meant that we had our heads down for long periods of time, enjoying the subaquatic gardens, which is why we didn’t notice the weather changing.
We were in the water for around 30 minutes when we sensed it was getting cloudy. But we weren’t worried, even when it started to rain. We were in a rainforest – a downpour is expected. However, it turned torrential. Myself and a few others stood up to check everything was OK. The guide seemed unconcerned and assured us there was nothing to worry about. We swam on.
As we dipped our heads back under water we heard rumbles of thunder in the distance. I reassured myself that if there was a problem the guide would warn us. That’s when everything changed. The thunder roared loudly, and rapidly transitioned into lightning. I saw a blinding flash of blue light. I didn’t have time to acknowledge what it was. The next thing I knew there was a surge of electricity up my right arm, travelling across my shoulder blades and down and out of my left arm. Intense heat flowed through me. It was painful but I wasn’t in agony. I was in shock.
As soon as I was hit I stood up expecting to see everyone else panic, but they all still had their heads down. I immediately explained what had happened to the guide but he didn’t seem to understand, or just didn’t believe me. He kept telling me that lightning was not going to hit the water. He was adamant we were fine. I thought it was weird that he wasn’t concerned. I wanted to get out but there was no bank so I reluctantly continued down the river. However, no more than three minutes later, it happened again.
A bright flash of light hit the water next to me and coursed through my body in exactly the same way, but the pain was much worse the second time round.
I stood up immediately, and noticed others also standing, including the guide. It was real, and it was petrifying. This time all of the group saw the light and many felt it. Luckily, this time, we were close to a bank so were able to hurriedly climb out and follow the guide back through the forest to take shelter under the ledge of a small cliff. We waited until the weather started to clear before cutting our day trip short and heading back to our bus.
The trek back was eerie, a stark difference to the walk at the start of the day, with no talking or laughing. We all had our heads down, scared witless. I had a lot of discomfort in my shoulders. My body felt jarred, tense and uncomfortable. At the back of my mind I was thinking about how much worse it could’ve been without my wetsuit and rubber shoes giving me some protection.
In hindsight I wish I was more vocal about my concerns after I was first hit. Remarkably the experience has not entirely put me off snorkelling, but I’m incredibly cautious. I plan on taking my three-year-old daughter snorkelling with me, but only if the weather is absolutely amazing. I would never risk us being in a similar situation.
My advice to others is to not rely on someone else to make a judgement call for you on holiday. We put our trust in guides but we also need to take responsibility for our own safety. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t wait for someone else to make the call on your life.
As told to Alexandria Gouveia
What to do during a thunderstorm when you are...
On a golf course
Seek shelter in a substantial building or enclosed motor vehicle, as long as you don’t touch the metal frame. If you cannot get to either of these, go to the lowest place available. Don’t stand under lone trees, light poles, flag poles, any metal objects, or out in the open. Don’t go near water. Discard any metal objects, including your golf clubs.
In open water
Return to shore immediately. If you’re on a boat with a cabin and cannot return to shore, stay inside and avoid touching metal or electrical devices. If your boat doesn’t have a cabin, stay as low as you can in the boat.
In a forest
Seek shelter in a substantial building or enclosed motor vehicle. If a shelter is not possible, seek protection in a valley or other low-elevation area. Avoid isolated tall trees or open fields. Discard any metal objects. Crouch on the ground.
On an open mountain
Leave the open area. Seek clumps of shrubs or trees of uniform height or the lowest possible elevation area you can get to. Discard any metal objects. Crouch on the ground.
Advice supplied by Michael Muccilli, Acting Severe Programme Manager at the National Weather Service
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