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Lightning strikes twice as Swiss victims' rescuers hit

by AFP Staff Writers Geneva (AFP) July 21, 2023 AFP
Lightning never strikes twice, until it does: a police officer and helicopter pilot rushing to help two people injured Friday in a lightning strike were themselves also hit, Swiss authorities said.

A 51-year-old man and 16-year-old boy were struck by lightning at around 8:30 am (0630 GMT) while working in a field in Menieres, in the western canton of Fribourg, regional police said in a statement.

Both were injured, the older man seriously, the police said, adding that they had received assistance from ambulance and rescue helicopter personnel before being taken to hospital.

During the intervention, a police officer and the helicopter pilot were also struck by lightning, according to the statement.

"Fortunately, they were not injured and could be assisted on site by the ambulance personnel," it said.

The incident comes after a 27-year-old woman in the same Swiss region was also seriously injured after being struck by lightning, the Keystone-ATS news agency reported.

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