Saved by my iPod: Girl survives lightning strike after wire diverts 300,000 volts

A teenage girl survived a terrifying lightning strike after she was saved by the wire of her iPod. Schoolgirl Sophie Frost and her boyfriend Mason Billington, both 14, stopped to shelter under a tree when a storm struck as they were walking near their homes. Doctors believe Sophie survived the 300,000-volt surge only because it travelled through the gadget’s wire, diverting it away from her vital organs. The teenager was taken to hospital and is recovering from burns to her chest and legs while Mason suffered damage to his eyes.She will be thankful she was wearing her iPod, which she had been given four days earlier as a gift from her grandmother. Returning from hospital yesterday after three days of treatment, she said: ‘I’m just glad to be alive. I don’t remember a thing about what happened, but from what everyone tells me it’s a miracle I’m still here. ‘Everybody’s said the iPod must have diverted the lightning away from my body, which probably saved my life. I’ve got a few burns, but it’s all healing OK.’ Sophie and Mason were knocked unconscious by the lightning bolt while holding hands and taking shelter in a field on Monday night. Mason came round and carried Sophie, who was scorched and unconscious, to a nearby road where he flagged down a female motorist who took the couple to Southend hospitalSophie suffered burns to her body and legs, some temporary damage to her eyes and a perforated eardrum.Dr Ian Cotton, a reader in electrical engineering at Manchester University, said Sophie could have been saved by her iPod. ‘If lightning hits a person it can do one of two things. It can go down the outside of the skin, which is more likely if someone is caught in a storm and their body is wet. ‘Or it can puncture the skin and go into the body. Potentially a metal wire, which is highly conductive could divert the electricity away from the heart and save someone’s life.’ Sophie was reunited with her boyfriend and family in Rayleigh, Essex, yesterday after being transferred to the Broomfield Hospital for burns treatment. She said Mason, whose eyesight is now back to normal, was a hero. ‘My mum thinks he’s wonderful,’ she added.

アドレス…http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1194120/Saved-iPod-Girl-survives-lightning-strike-wire-diverts-300-000-volts.html#

＊要約＊
ある少女が雷が直撃したにもかかわらずiPodのおかげで軽傷で済むという奇跡的な出来事があった。
iPodに命を助けられたのはイギリス・エセックス州に住むソフィー（14歳）。6月15日の晩にソフィーはボーイフレンドと家の近所で散歩している最中、大雨が降ってきたため木の下で雨宿りしているとソフィーに雷が落ちてきた。ソフィーは意識不明になり、彼女はサウスエンド病院に連れていかれた。
病院に運び込まれたときのソフィーは胸のあたりから足にかけてやけどを負っていただけでなく、鼓膜が破れ、目にも障害が起きていたそうだ。しかし目の障害などはすぐに回復し、やけどもいずれ消える程度の軽傷で済み、雷に打たれてから3日後の6月18日に退院する事ができた。
雷が直撃したにもかかわらず、軽症ですんだ理由は雷がiPodのイヤホン・ケーブルを伝っていったため、心臓や臓器にほとんど被害が無かったからだと考えられている。

＊単語＊
diverts................それる
terrifying.............恐ろしい　
gadget.................機械装置
scorched...............焦げる
flagged................旗を掲げる
motorist...............自動車運転者
perforated eardrum.....鼓膜に穴が開く

＊感想＊
雷が当たった時、なにもつけていないと脳から全身に電流が伝って死んでしまうが、ネックレスなどの金属のアクセサリーをつけているとその金属の方に電流が流れてくれるのでアクセサリーをつけているところを火傷するだけで済む。と、聞いたことがあるのを思い出しました。大雨の日はネックレスをするように心がけたいです。