How many deaths to swimmers each year are attributed to lightning?
Not many. But that doesn’t mean it’s safe to be in the water. The low numbers are likely due to awareness campaigns and good safety programs. The National Weather Service tracks the number of people hit, and also those killed, by lightning each year. Last year, only 1 of the 34 U.S. lightning fatalities tracked by the NWS was a swimmer, and only 1 in 28 in 2008. Most deaths by lightning strikes occur during summer months. The NWS keeps track of when, where and who gets hit by lightning. While it varies from year to year, men are much more likely to get hit by lightning than women; in some years, it’s by a factor of 4 or more. The state with the most hits is Florida. A few simple actions can reduce your risk of getting hit by lightning. There is no completely safe place outside in a thunderstorm. The rule of thumb is “when thunder roars, go indoors.” The safest thing to do is to get inside a safe building or vehicle. A safe building is one that is covered with a roof, walls and floor, a
