Lightening strike kills Austrian father of four

01/04/2006 - 15:55:25
Lightning struck and killed a 50-year-old married father of four after he and a friend were caught in a sudden thunderstorm as they were cutting wood in a forest, authorities said today.

The strike happened on Friday afternoon in Grein in the province of Upper Austria, where the pair were clearing wood, police said in a statement. The victim’s 58-year-old companion rushed for help, but doctors who arrived at the scene said the man died instantly.

Police said the bolt struck the victim as the men were packing up their gear and preparing to leave the area because the weather had changed.