It's the kind of oddball story the media can't resist, however vapid and ridiculous.
"At precisely 13:13," reported the Daily Telegraph last weekend, "a boy aged 13 was seen by the St. John Ambulance team at Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival in Suffolk after he was struck by lightning, a spokesman said."
This happened on Friday the 13th, a date many superstitiously regard as unlucky.
The unnamed youngster suffered a minor burn on his shoulder, was treated in a hospital, and is doing fine, by the way.
Though dozens of papers worldwide reported the story exactly the same way, a question mark hangs over one particular detail: what time the lightning strike actually took place.
We find this caveat in the Daily Mail, for example: "[I]t was only while the ambulance team was treating him that they noticed the time — 1.13 p.m."
Which, if accurate, means the incident itself didn't occur at precisely 13:13, despite the Daily Mail's own headline, "Lightning Strikes 13-Year-Old Boy at 13:13 on Friday the 13th."
In point of fact, EDP24 soberly reported that the victim was injured "at about 1 p.m." — and oh, by the way, two people standing close to him were struck by lightning, too. They just didn't happen to be 13 years old.
Minor quibbles, I'll admit. What really bugs me about the premise of the story — namely, "Friday the 13th lives up to its unlucky reputation" — is the fact that it so rarely does. A Google search of newspaper articles published over the past half-century turns up only a handful of reports of Friday the 13th lightning injuries, none fatal. If it's really such an unlucky day, where's the ominous pattern?
Case in point: there were three Friday the 13ths in 2009, a star-crossed triple-header to be sure. How many people were reported struck by lightning anywhere in the world on those exceptionally unlucky days?
None. But I'm sure you saw that coming.
Read more:
• 13-Year-Old Struck by Lightning on Friday the 13th at 13.13
• Lightning Strikes 13-Year-Old Boy at 13:13 on Friday the 13th
• Three Struck by Lightning at Airshow
• Why Friday the 13th Is Unlucky
Comments
But sir!! Isn’t it true that there are many occurrences *other* than lightning strikes that can be considered bad luck? What about all the people who were run over by cars, smashed in the face by muggers, contracted horrible diseases, broke their legs, were cheated on by their partners, were fired from their jobs, found out they had *that* teacher for their upcoming school year… you get my point I’m sure! Just because someone wasn’t struck by lightning doesn’t mean there’s nothing to our very understandable fear of Friday the 13th! Hmmpff!
Dear DLI,
“Hmmpff” isn’t a word. Therefore you are wrong and I am right.
Hmm, yes, I see your point. Oh my, this *does* change things. I wonder what other things I might be mistaken about… Are you telling me that, for example, Obama really *is* a US citizen, and that he’s *not* a Muslim? Are you also saying that Al Franken and Michael Moore are the good guys and Rush Limbaugh and Dr. Laura are lame-brained lunatics?? I’m going to have to go to my room and think this all through. Oh dear.
Wow! DLI, you catch on fast! All of those wrong assumptions cleared up, presto!
It’s like Hmmpff is a *magick* non-word!
Ah, the power of logic.
LMAO, Good one David
Friday the 13; Full Moon; Things Happen in Threes – all of these are how people associate bad things and are not based on reality since the things that happen on those days happen on every day of the year somewhere to someone.
FASCINATING, BUT, DAVID EMERY APPEARS NOT TO BE AWARE THAT 1:13 PM IS IN 24 HOUR MILITARY TIME, 13:13, THIS OBVIATES THE NEED FOR THE LETTERS AM AND PM
No, Jack, it appears you missed the point. According to the Daily Mail, it wasn’t until the victim was being treated that a member of the ambulance team noticed it was 1:13 p.m. (13:13). That means the lightning strike itself happened several minutes before 13:13.
Oh my, how could I have missed this one?
To quote DLI, “Are you telling me that, for example, Obama really *is* a US citizen, and that he’s *not* a Muslim? Are you also saying that Al Franken and Michael Moore are the good guys and Rush Limbaugh and Dr. Laura are lame-brained lunatics??”
How is it possible that one individual, armed with a computer and all the research tools at his/her fingertips, could select 6 examples so UNSUPPORTIVE of the very point he/she is trying to make? It boggles the mind and proves once again just how successful the High Cabal is in their ongoing mission to turn America into a field of sheep.
Providence help us all.
I was struck by lightning on 8/14/2010. What does that mean? People at the postal service are questioning if it ever took place, have you ever heard of anyone getting help in a mail vehicle delivering mail? I am still in pain and out of work due to the incident. They even put my supervisors name in the paper instead of ine, due to what she told the er staff. they did go back in and correct with my name. GOD’s will be done..
And the thunder exalts [Allah] with praise of Him – and the angels [as well] from fear of Him – and He sends thunderbolts and strikes therewith whom He wills while they dispute about Allah; and He is severe in assault. Al-Qur’an(Ar-Ra’d-13: 13)
My father was struck by lightning – Friday, October 13th, 2000. He too had two people with him but none were injured. I don’t know why it had to be him but I miss him dearly…