Walking Forum

Main Boards => General Walking Discussion => Topic started by: alan de enfield on 12:45:56, 09/06/19

Title: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: alan de enfield on 12:45:56, 09/06/19





A woman has died after being struck by lightning in the Highlands.
A group of seven walkers were on Na Gruagaichean, a mountain near Ben Nevis, on Saturday when the lightning struck, police said.
 
The party were all airlifted to Fort William but the 55-year-old died as a result of her injuries.
Another woman in the group who was also struck by lightning is in a stable condition in Belford Hospital, Fort William.


The next-of-kin of the woman who died have been informed.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-48571286 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-48571286)
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: richardh1905 on 15:21:45, 09/06/19
Really unlucky.
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: BuzyG on 21:02:28, 09/06/19
You never know when your number up. Tragic.
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: sussamb on 21:07:48, 09/06/19
I remember on my second PW attempt the clouds gathering as I reached High Cup Nick, and the thunder starting ... even though I was fairly tired I legged it down towards Dufton as fast as I could  O0
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: gunwharfman on 10:08:10, 10/06/19
I remember two years ago on the GR64 in France being in my tent and experienced the worse thunder and lightning in my life. It only lasted for about 45 minutes but I was convinced it happened directly above me, the noise and the lighting were simulateous and was really scary! I could only lay there and could do nothing about it. Never want to go though that again!

Very sorry for the lady who died and for her family and friends.
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: forgotmyoldpassword on 11:40:42, 10/06/19
Really unfortunate, this.  Was at the Ben on Saturday and it was indeed rough up there during the afternoon - lovely morning and clear sky but then quickly turned to torrential rain, thunder and lightning.  Saw these unfortunate people heli-evacuated out of the area and we all assumed it was the usual lower limb injury.  Sad to hear the news.
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: Dyffryn Ardudwy on 12:11:20, 10/06/19
The only time Ive ever got too close to being struck by lightening, was way back in the 1980s, whilst decending the Cribyn to Fan Y Big ridge in the Beacons.
The humidity levels must have been off the scale, as i were perspiring heavily even when stationary, and i can remember being able to feel the electric static in the air.

You could hear the thunder rumbling all around, but thankfully the lightening was off in the direction of the Talybont direction,  but the entire atmosphere was charged with electricity.

As i was in in such an exposed location, i only hoped that the passing storm was not centralised right on top of me.

Its very unfortunate for those unlucky enough to be struck by lightening, as most of the time its impossible to escape a thunderstorm directly overhead.
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: tonyk on 14:32:10, 10/06/19
I remember on my second PW attempt the clouds gathering as I reached High Cup Nick, and the thunder starting ... even though I was fairly tired I legged it down towards Dufton as fast as I could  O0
Probably the best choice in a bad situation.A high degree of luck does come into it.

  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/06/27/how-lightning-kills-and-injures-victims/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.18f4e7cf2750
 Interesting article.Just click on "browse now,free trial" to read content.
 
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: ninthace on 15:16:23, 10/06/19
Sad indeed.  Such a tragedy for her family and her companions.
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: astaman on 06:41:06, 11/06/19
Awful for her family and those with her at the time. I have friends who live and walk in Colorado and they are very wary of electric storms and get off high ridges and passes at the first sign of passing storms. Thankfully these incidents are comparatively rare in this country.
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: strawy on 16:26:16, 11/06/19
So unlucky,we can all take care,but sometimes our beautiful planet shows its teeth,RIP.
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: Pitboot on 17:03:50, 12/06/19
A tragic event on what should have been a joyous day out. But if your number's up.......
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: mananddog on 08:53:09, 13/06/19

I have told this story before on here. I was on the North York Moors and had a lightening strike right by me. My friend was walking about 50yds behind me, I looked around and he was lying on the floor, he had not been hit but either the shock of the event or the current through the wet ground had cause his muscles to convulse which threw him on his back.


I had two other very close encounters with lightening in Yosemite and the Colorado Rockies, both very scary and nothing much you can do in that situation.
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: Pitboot on 09:40:45, 13/06/19
Nasty. I had a close call in Belize during the rainy season. I was walking across some PSP , that's pierced steel planking for non mil people, we parked our vehicles on it to prevent a quagmire developing.
I felt the hair all over me stand up then there was a loud crack and I turned to see a steaming hole in the metal about five metres away. It was about 25mm wide and still hot, I ran like **** to the concrete road and I don't think I stopped shaking all that day.

Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: Jac on 10:48:02, 13/06/19

Walking in Bradgate Park, Leicester some years ago, we looked at each other and burst out laughing as our hair was all standing on end.
Then the storm broke.
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: BuzyG on 12:50:53, 14/06/19
Nasty. I had a close call in Belize during the rainy season. I was walking across some PSP , that's pierced steel planking for non mil people, we parked our vehicles on it to prevent a quagmire developing.
I felt the hair all over me stand up then there was a loud crack and I turned to see a steaming hole in the metal about five metres away. It was about 25mm wide and still hot, I ran like **** to the concrete road and I don't think I stopped shaking all that day.


If you are near your vehicle get in it.  Safest place to be is inside a cosy insulated Faraday cage.  O0
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: sussamb on 12:58:50, 14/06/19
Yep, vehicle with rubber tyres is perfect  O0
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: Ralph on 13:09:49, 14/06/19
Yep, vehicle with rubber tyres is perfect  O0
The rubber tyre thing is a myth, sorry if you already knew that.


Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: Owen on 13:26:03, 14/06/19
Nasty. I had a close call in Belize during the rainy season. I was walking across some PSP , that's pierced steel planking for non mil people, we parked our vehicles on it to prevent a quagmire developing.
/quote]


I'm still trying to get my head around "vehicles" in Belize?
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: alan de enfield on 13:31:50, 14/06/19

If you are near your vehicle get in it.  Safest place to be is inside a cosy insulated Faraday cage.  O0



Whilst flying (own plane, not 'commercial') I was struck by lightning - it went in one wing tip and out of the other, it was 'weird'.



Aircraft tyres are built with aluminium 'flakes' in the rubber so on landing the tyre 'earths' the plane and discharges the charge, otherwise you are 'charged' up and if you get out of the plane without the charge being earthed you would become the earth and it would discharge thu' your body. Not something I'd want to happen.



From ‘Flight’ June 13th 1935.


“NON-INSULATING TYRES


One drawback to the increasing use of tail-wheels on aircraft has been the fact that the machine thereby becomes very completely insulated, electrically, from the ground. Thus there is danger of static electricity causing fire during refuelling


The Dunlop Rubber Company has found a way out of the difficulty by discovering and perfecting a new type of rubber compound which, when used in tyres, gives electrical conductivity without, it is claimed, materially altering any of the characteristics of the tyre such as wear, flexibility, appearance or durability.


These tyres are now being marketed under the name of " Ecta " ("Electrically Conducting Tyres for Aircraft"). The electrical resistance of these tyres is about one-tenmillionth of the resistance of a similar tyre of standard construction, and the time required to conduct the static charge to earth in the case of the largest aeroplanes is of the order of one-thousandth part of a second, whereas a normal tvre would require over two hours.


As the tyres, hub and bearing now become part of a conducting system, it is necessary that the hub shall be in electrical contact with the main earthing strip of the aeroplane, and that the beads of the tyre shall be in contact with the metal of the hub. This object can be attained satisfactorily by spraying the inside of the rim with metal, after removing the layer of protective dope.


The rubber may be used for many purposes where normal non-conducting rubber is used if some degree of electrical conductivity would be an advantage.”
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: ninthace on 13:47:30, 14/06/19
If you want to see someone's eyes light up try letting them attach an underslung load to a hovering helicopter without grounding the load strap first.  The static charge is seriously dangerous.
The tyre thing is irrelevant to sheltering in a car in a storm.  As has been pointed out - it acts as a Faraday cage which means the current flows through the outside of the vehicle and grounds across the tyres.  All you know about it inside the vehicle is the accompanying very loud bang.
Alan:  when I was teaching heavy electrics in the RAF we used to tell the trainees that the purpose of an airframe was to provide a common earth for the electrics and the engines were there  to generate the electricity in the first place - the rest was incidental  :)
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: alan de enfield on 20:34:33, 14/06/19

Alan:  when I was teaching heavy electrics in the RAF we used to tell the trainees that the purpose of an airframe was to provide a common earth for the electrics and the engines were there  to generate the electricity in the first place - the rest was incidental  :)



Love it.
Was the electricity generated to turn the 'fan' at the front ?


(I was teaching Cadets to fly in the late '70s / early '80s)



Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: Bigfoot_Mike on 21:35:49, 14/06/19
Alan:  when I was teaching heavy electrics in the RAF we used to tell the trainees that the purpose of an airframe was to provide a common earth for the electrics and the engines were there  to generate the electricity in the first place - the rest was incidental  :)
This reminds me of a former boss who used to wind up the naval architects by stating that the ship was solely a means of providing a stable platform for the weapons systems.
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: BuzyG on 23:13:19, 14/06/19
This reminds me of a former boss who used to wind up the naval architects by stating that the ship was solely a means of providing a stable platform for the weapons systems.
Float, Move, Fight. O0


So the most important thing is to not get big holes in the hull.  For which you need defensive weapons.  Hence, as you point out.  The most important, none human, things on a ship, are the weapon systems.  ;)
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: ninthace on 15:42:51, 15/06/19
Float, Move, Fight. O0
 The most important, none human, things on a ship, are the weapon systems.  ;)
I have a chequered past having graduated from both Dartmouth and Cranwell. I remember the float, move, fight bit being drummed into me but in my opinion the most important bit of kit was the Wardroom fridge - I even put a Fast Admiralty Cutter back into port once because the fridge was Tango Uniform. Had to send a runner to get a 56lb bag of ice.  No way was I drinking warm G&Ts.  The RAF equivalent is Aviate, Navigate, Communicate.  In short, if all else fails, first fly the aircraft. Another truism is the only time you have too much fuel is when it’s on fire.
When I taught RAF Apprentices you needed 10 O-levels to be an apprentice and only 5 to be a pilot. When they queried this the standard reply was: “I’ve seen loads of monkeys go up in rockets, never seen one build a rocket”.
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: BuzyG on 18:49:54, 15/06/19
Walking in Bradgate Park, Leicester some years ago, we looked at each other and burst out laughing as our hair was all standing on end.
Then the storm broke.


I think would have hit the deck like a bag of sand.  :o
Title: Re: Walker Dies In The Highlands
Post by: ninthace on 16:17:48, 18/06/19
Today I was stood next to the summit cross on a pointy lump of landscape ending in “berg” admiring the pair of inch thick metal earthing straps running off down the mountain when, all of a sudden, the dark looking cloud alongside me grumbled quite loudly.  In the finest traditions, I made my excuses and left - rapidly.