Man dies after lightning strikes German beer garden
August 13, 2023
A 35-year-old man died Sunday after being critically injured a day earlier in a lightning strike near the southwestern German city of Stuttgart, police said.
The man was sitting under a tree in the beer garden of a tourist restaurant in the town of Unterensingen when the force of nature hit.
According to the operations manager of the team of first responders, three people had to be resuscitated on site.
An 11-year-old boy and a 43-year-old woman remained in hospital Sunday after being injured in the lightning strike. The woman is in critical condition, police said.
Two other children — a 4-year-old boy and a girl aged just under 11 months — were treated for shock.
Police said they were in a bicycle trailer at the time of the lightning strike.
Most diners rushed for shelter
Police said around 15 people had sought shelter in a bar when the thunderstorm drew close.
But six people were still sitting at the beer table under a tree when a bolt of lightning struck.
Several houses in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg — where Unterensignen lies — were also struck by lightning.
Experts advise people to seek shelter in a building or a vehicle during thunderstorms.
Outdoors you should get a flat spot or better squat down with your feet together and your arms around your knees.
mm/jcg (AFP, dpa)