ORMOND BEACH, Fla. — A Volusia County lifeguard said he’s lucky to be alive after being indirectly struck by lightning while helping a beachgoer on the Fourth of July. It happened Saturday afternoon at the Seminole Approach Beach Access on Ormond Beach.
Damien Curry said he never expected his holiday shift would end with him, as he called it, “being electrocuted from the sky.”
“God has a plan for me,” Curry said. “It’s a sign. It’s a sign to tell others to get off the beach when it’s lightning, get inside.”
It’s a message Curry is sharing after surviving what few people ever do.
Curry wasn’t even scheduled to work the holiday, but picked up the shift after lifeguards responded to hundreds of water rescues the day before.
“I had my hand on the side of the truck, clearing the seat for the lady to get in,” Curry said. “Then boom, explosion, light, I got lifted off my feet and jumped through the passenger door into the driver’s seat.”
Despite the strike, Curry said his first thought wasn’t about himself.
He spent the next several minutes checking on everyone else before paramedics evaluated him. Later, he was cleared at the hospital.
“On my left side, from my hand down to my toes,” Curry said. “My whole side was pins and needles for a good six hours after. I was in full shock, my ears were ringing.”
Curry said the danger comes with the job of being a part-time first responder. After this close call, his wife is hoping he’ll take a break from lifeguarding and focus on his growing landscaping business.
“It’s not worth it, it’s not worth your life,” Curry said.
Curry told Channel 9 on Monday he’s still shaken up, but he expects to make a full recovery. His biggest takeaway is that if you can hear thunder, you’re close enough to be struck by lightning.
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