Man killed by lightning at BGW

Just came across a story about a man being killed by lightning at BGW in the parking lot.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/dp-68897sy0sep01,0,6514305.story?coll=dp-news-local-final

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Army Rangers lead the way

I live in DC and this was all over the news last night, it is good to note that the local stations here said it was in the parking lot not in the park, and that the man was not on a rollercoaster all we need to do now is give Ed Markey more fuel for his freaking rollercoaster bill. It is an unfortunate accident.

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CP kicks SFMM ASS!

Hmm, isn't that 2 peeps struck by lightning at 2 different parks? The other being at a Paramount park (Kings Island, I think). Same instance... in a parking lot.

I sure hope the family doesn't go thinking this was the park's fault and called upon God to strike down on vengence and go suing Busch for not having a lightning rod on the lot... as another family apparently did to another particular park!

Come on guys, a man was killed, quit worrying about possible legislation or legal action.
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Buy "Stereotype Be" from Kevin Max at Amazon.com

When you kids start bringing up Markey at every turn you sound like bandwagon idiots. Give it a rest.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
DELETED! What time does the water show start?

I hope they don't get sooned like PKI, has there been any more news on that?

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Western Michigan University Engineering student.
Go Broncos!

Actually this was the third person struck by lightning this summer at parks. PKI, BGW and Knoebels.

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Signature will be closed today. Sorry for the inconveinance.

It's terrible when parks get sooned. Just awful.

--Ryan

I have a question. Why is it that whenever someone says something that a few people consider unintelligent, they are discriminated for being younger? I joined this website because I love coasters, and I was 13 years old. Now, everyone just pushes us aside and treats us like crap. I was old enough to join the site when I did, and I read the entire TOS page. So I wish for people to just ease off the stereotyping and judging and seriously chill out. I am not an ignorant snot-nosed teenager several people take me for, along with several others. Thank you.

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-Tom

DawgByte II said:

I sure hope the family doesn't go thinking this was the park's fault and called upon God to strike down on vengence and go suing Busch for not having a lightning rod on the lot... as another family apparently did to another particular park!

Actually...they should provide lightning protection if it's possible. You are more exposed in the parking lot than in the park, it would seem. When we were at CP in July a bad storm was raging just as we reached our car, and lightning was hitting close. Most of these lots have pretty tall light towers..if they are properly grounded I would think they would provide some protection.

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"How was your ride?"

Lighting towers may provide some degree of protection, but aren't really designed for it. I don't think that I've ever seen a parking lot designed for lightning protection anywhere including parks, malls, factories, government offices, etc. Of course, indoor lots do provide a good deal of protection.

Lightning is still pretty poorly understood, and the science of lightning protection isn't really well developed.

Lightning protection? Come on !! It is a freaking act of nature. It happens. I feel terrible for the person's family and friends, but there is nothing we can do about these things.

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Mac Forever.

...not to mention that although thunderstorms do happen often... they're not a daily occurance, so there'd be no reason to really take that percaution.

It's more or less like winning the lottery, you have a better chance of winning the lottery than you do getting struck by lightning (unless, obviously, you cover yourself in sheet metal under the tallest tree you can find, and the lightning strikes the tree, and knocks off a branch, branch falls into your arms, and you use that branch to make a baseball bat called "Wonderbat")

A couple notes, lightning protection is very common. Every tall building, radio or TV antenna, smoke stack, or other tall structure incorporates some form of it. This is protection that allow the current to pass through the structure without causing damage.

Area protection (Like a parking lot) is pretty rare as I understand it. Though, I have seen examples of it in places such as oil refineries.

In Mouse Land in central Florida thunderstorms are nearly a daily occurance. Ditto for Baltimore if the temperature is over 85F.

I haven't won the lottery yet, but I have been zinged by lightning twice. No significant injury either time.

If golf courses, city parks, shopping malls, state fairs etc., are not required to have lightning protection, why would anyone expect an amusement park to? Sheesh.

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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead
http://www.webtechnik.com/ebony/CPLady.htm

From what I understand, most lightning protection is designed to prevent lightning strikes by ionizing the air and therefore dissipating the charge build up in the ground, rather than safely channeling a strike into something other than the structure.

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Be polite and ignore the idiots. - rollergator
"It's not a Toomer" - Arnold Schwartzenkoph
"Those who know don't talk and those who talk don't know." -Jeff