‘Like being stabbed with 1000 needles’: Georgia Rizzi describes freak ordeal after being struck by lightning
Describing the moment of terror when she was struck by lightning in the northeast of the city, the 16-year-old girl described the terrifying ordeal as being like “being stabbed with 1,000 needles”.
Georgia Rizzi was one of three people struck by lightning during a summer storm on Thursday morning, the first downpour in Perth since December.
The Eastern Hills High School student said he and his friend were injured when lightning struck a nearby metal pole while chatting with friends at school.
“I was standing on the tennis court talking to my friends about the school prom, and then everyone’s hair started standing on end,” she told 9NEWS.
“I felt like I had been stabbed with 1000 needles.
“Teachers, nurses, doctors, my father was always telling me to buy a lottery ticket.”
The girls were rushed to Midland Hospital and Fiona Stanley Hospital and were discharged later the same day.
Grandfather Michael Day was walking his daughter’s dog Messi in Hamersley around 9am when he was struck by lightning, killing Messi instantly.
It was stated that the 78-year-old man, who suffered burns on his abdomen and inner thigh, was hospitalized and his condition was stable.
Mr Day’s daughter Karyn Avalos described her father’s survival as a miracle but said she was devastated by Messi’s death.
“My dad is in a lot of pain, I think he was still joking when it happened and it was a typical dad, but I think everything has darkened him now,” he said.
“The kids called Messi their hero, because who knows what would have happened if Messi had not taken the full brunt of his electric power.
“We will really miss him.”
St John WA special operations manager Deane Coxall said it was the first time in his 15-year career he had seen three people struck by lightning on the same day.
“This is an incredibly unfortunate and unexpected incident, I would be very surprised if we saw this again,” he said.
