WATCH: A golfer in Canmore was caught in a storm and ended up being shocked by lightning at the Canmore Golf and Curling Club. Global’s Jayme Doll reports.
CALGARY –A 63-year-old man was struck by lightning at the Canmore Golf and Curling Club on Thursday afternoon, according to Canmore fire officials.
STARS Air Ambulance was dispatched at 12:45 p.m. to meet the patient at the Canmore General Hospital in order to move him to Calgary.
Canmore Alberta Health and Emergency Services said the man was transported to Foothills hospital by Canmore EMS in serious but stable condition.
Get daily National news
Golf club spokesperson Darren Cooke said the man was sitting in a lightning shelter when lightning hit a tree next to it.
“The system went from monitoring something innocent to serious in a fraction of a second,” said Cooke. “Many people were helping perform CPR, including the golfer’s wife.”
Golfer Kelly Smith said the system seemed to be working, but the storm “just came up so quickly.”
“The wind was coming amazingly fast, then it started hailing,” said Smith.
“The entire green was covered and we went to get cover, and ‘crack’ like you wouldn’t believe! It scared me.”
The victim is a member of the course and was awake and speaking when crews took him to hospital. He was holding a golf club when he was struck.
With files from Ryan Rumbolt and Jayme Doll
- Alberta pauses health-care coverage change for some international work permit holders
- Corrosion caused by road salt is taking a toll on Calgary’s fire trucks
- Proposal for massive new data centre in Olds, Alta. has some residents concerned
- Record snow drought in Western US raises concerns for water shortages and wildfires
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.