A 16-year-old goalkeeper in Russia’s third tier is lucky to be alive after being struck by lightning during a training session on July 4.
Ivan Zakborovsky can be seen in a video preparing to take a shot on goal while his teammates trained on the near touchline. Right before taking the shot a bolt of lightning struck Zakborovsky. His team, Znamya Truda, tweeted a video of the incident and an update on his condition.
Момент удара молнии
На сегодня состояние стабильное, кардиограмма в норме, сильные ожоги на месте входа и выхода разряда молнии. Угрозы жизни, по словам врачей, нет.#знамятруда #ореховозуево pic.twitter.com/nfJIvjKYaC— Znamya Truda FC (@ZnamyaTrudaFC) July 6, 2020
“Today his condition is stable and the cardiogram is normal, severe burns at the entrance and exit of the lightning discharge. There is no threats to his life according to doctors,” the tweet said.
I’m not really sure the lightning bolt emoji was in the best taste, but at least the boy will make a recovery.
Club director Igor Mayorov said in a statement that the club later tweeted out, “Everyone acted quickly, very professionally, the ambulance arrived in eight minutes. Most likely he had a respiratory arrest, he received first aid, maybe because of this the child is alive. We transported him from Orekhovo-Zuevo to the hospital in Lyubertsy. They made an ECG, his heart is normal.”
The boy was in a coma during the weekend and is now responsive according to Mayorov.
“I contacted his father, his eyes react, he responds to commands and the recovery dynamics are positive, he will play. We will see how MRI and ECG will be done. The situation with him is under the control of the Minister of Health of the region,” Mayorov said on Monday.
In regard to player safety, Mayorov said, “There was a clear sky, albeit overcast, but neither rain nor wind. If there was a thunderstorm, then we would not have been training.”
