Terrifying moment wildlife expert is struck by lightning while wading thigh-deep through the Florida Everglades for promo video
- Wildlife expert Forrest Galante is struck by lightning while in Florida Everglades
- His near-death encounter was recorded as he was filming for his YouTube page
- He and his crew survived, but did feel the surge and after effects of the strike
This is the terrifying moment an American wildlife expert is ‘struck by lightning’ in the Florida Everglades.
Forrest Galante, 35, was last week shooting a promo for his YouTube channel in Everglades City when thunder rumbled and lightning struck down.
He says: ‘While I’m out here in a place like this, in a remote swamp, where the thunder’s cracking off, and there’s alligators cruising around, there’s a couple things that I absolutely cannot live without.’
He says he cannot be without his GPS just as a huge bolt of orange lightning crashes down through the trees behind him.
Galante ducks then scurries out of the water, saying: ‘I got hit.’ The cameraman also jumps back and records shots of the Everglades after the strike.
As Galante goes on to say that he can’ be without his GPS, he motions toward his watch and is viciously interrupted by a huge orange bolt as it strikes down through the trees behind him and reflects off the water
In an instant reaction Galante jumps and ducks just before he scurries out of the water and says, ‘I got hit’ as the cameraman jumps back too and blurry shots of the everglades take over the footage
https://youtube.com/watch?v=wkL_sljgk_Q%3Frel%3D0
‘I felt it. Yeah, I got hit. That hurt, yeah it just hurt,’ Galante tells his crew.
As the camera faces the sandy ground full of debris, the wildlife expert says, ‘I’m okay,’ as the others with him question if that was all caught on video.
In the same day, Galante, a Discovery Chanel host, Wildlife Biologist and author sat down and posted a video on his YouTube and explains the incident.
‘Wow, what a day. So, today was supposed to be an easy day- we’re here in Southern Florida filming a bunch of different content, and one of the things we set out to do today was head into the swamp area and film some content for Garmin,’ said Galante.
Garmin makes innovative GPS technology across sports and fitness, outdoor, automotive, and aviation markets.
He admits that toward the end of the day the weather was starting to take a dark turn, as rain started to roll in and he heard some thunder crack in the distance.
‘You know, it’s Florida. It rains here. There’s lightning and thunder all the time,’ said Galante.
He then says that Mitch, a member of his crew had second thoughts about them staying out in the elements as the weather intensified.
As the video turns to Mitch, Galante says: ‘Mitch is like ‘I don’t think so man, like that thunder is pretty serious.’ You know, Mitch lives here in Florida and I live in Southern California where we never have rain.’
In the same day, Galante sat down and posted a video on his YouTube and explained what happened
Mitch, a member of Galante’s crew didn’t think that going in the water during a storm was the right move, but Galante nonchalantly brushed him off and did it anyway
He then says that in the moment his response was ‘Shut up Mitch, we’re fine,’ as he admits that that has always been their work dynamic.
Galante says that he didn’t see the flash of the lightning since he was facing the camera, but he did feel his legs and butt seize up as he was ‘paralyzed for a fraction of a second’.
‘I realize, only on reviewing the footage that I just had a lightning bolt hit 15ft behind me, that through the super conductive water, has just gone shooting up my legs, into my waist, into my heart, and into my mouth actually,’ said Galante.
He adds that Mitch also felt the electric current rush through him as he only had one foot in the water and fell back after it struck.
‘It hurt more in my chest than anything,’ Mitch says. He also adds that he immediately had an aluminum taste in his mouth following the strike.
Galante is a Discovery Channel host, six-time World Record Spear Fisherman, Wildlife Biologist and author
At the time of the strike, Galante was filming a promotional video for Garmin as he showcased his new Epix Pro GPS watch
Galante said that he didn’t see the flash of the lightning since he was facing the camera, but he did feel his legs and butt seize up as he was ‘paralyzed for a fraction of a second’
According to National Geographic: ‘Lightning is extremely hot—a flash can heat the air around it to temperatures five times hotter than the sun’s surface.’
Water is a conductor for lighting as most of the electrical discharge occurs on the surface of the water.
Fish and boats are most commonly known to be affected by lightning strikes in water, but fish are safer than humans in the water, and boats can be fitted with lightning conductors.
Lightning conductors alter the bolt from hitting the vessel, and instead direct it toward the water.
BBC News reported that research from NASA ‘shows lightning is more likely to hit land than sea and that it is rare for strikes to occur in deep ocean areas. Waters just off coasts are more often affected.’
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