A teenager out for a walk was struck by lightning in a freak occurrence in Central Park, police said Thursday afternoon.
The 15-year-old boy was strolling through the famed park when a thunderstorm suddenly broke out, with lighting striking him around 3:45 p.m. on the park’s East Drive near E. 100th St., according to cops.
He was standing under a tree when lighting struck it, and the electric current jumped from the tree to a metal chain he was wearing around his neck, according to a police source.
“We found him sitting on the path right there,” a police officer told a Daily News reporter. “He was still conscious. He’s lucky to be alive.”
EMS transported the boy to Weill Cornell Medical Center with minor burns around his neck, police said. He is in stable condition and expected to recover, according to cops.
The odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are less than one in a million, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Almost 90% of lighting strike victims survive, according to the CDC.
Originally Published: June 19, 2025 at 4:49 PM EDT
