Roy Sullivan wasn’t just any park ranger — he was a man whose life defied the laws of probability. Working in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, Sullivan survived an incredible seven lightning strikes between 1942 and 1977, earning him the infamous title of “Human Lightning Rod.” His extraordinary encounters with nature’s fury led to his recognition by Guinness World Records as the person struck by lightning more recorded times than anyone else in history.
- 1. His first recorded lightning strike was in April 1942, when he was hiding in a fire lookout tower during a thunderstorm. Newly built and without a lightning rod, the tower was struck multiple times. Sullivan ran out, only to be hit a few feet away. The strike burned a strip along his right leg and hit his toe, leaving a hole in his shoe.
- 2. In July 1969, the second strike came while Sullivan was driving his truck through the park. Lightning hit nearby trees and was deflected into the open window of the truck. The bolt knocked him unconscious, burned off his eyebrows and eyelashes, and set his hair on fire. The truck, left uncontrolled, rolled towards a cliff before coming to a halt.
- 3. The third strike came in July 1970, when Sullivan was in his front yard. A bolt jumped from a nearby power transformer to his left shoulder, leaving it seared.
- 4. In the spring of 1972, Sullivan suffered a fourth strike when he was working inside a ranger station. His hair caught fire, and in a desperate attempt to extinguish it, he raced to the restroom but couldn’t fit under the water tap. He used a wet towel to douse the flames instead.
- 5. In August 1973, during a patrol, Sullivan saw a storm cloud forming and attempted to outrun it. Believing he had escaped, he left his truck, only to be struck for the fifth time moments later. He claimed to have seen the bolt as it moved down his left arm and leg, knocking off his shoe before traveling across to his right leg. His hair once again caught fire, and he doused it with the can of water he kept in his truck for such emergencies.
- 6. In June 1976 came the sixth strike. Sullivan, once again convinced that a cloud was following him, tried to flee but was struck yet again. This time, his ankle was injured, and predictably, his hair caught fire.
- 7. June of 1977 brought strike number 7, when Sullivan was fishing. The bolt hit him on the top of his head, setting his hair aflame, and travelled down to burn his chest and stomach.
On the morning of September 28, 1983, Sullivan took his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 71 years old. For a man who had faced down death seven times in the form of lightning strikes, it was a devastating reminder that inner struggles can be more lethal than the external dangers we face.
