Journal article

Publication year: 2013

Pages: 114-118

Journal: Rechtsmedizin

Volume number: 23

Issue number: 2

ISSN: 0937-9819

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00194-013-0870-0

Publisher: Springer

Abstract: 
In June 2012, 4 women aged 41, 50, 66 and 67 years old died when lightning struck a golf course in Hesse, Germany and 3 of the women died immediately on the golf course and 1 woman died 4 days later in a burn center. All victims showed typical findings, such as Lichtenberg figures, skin burns, scorched hair, torn clothing, thermally induced changes to metal parts of clothing and signs of metallization due to heat evaporation of a necklace. A lightning strike involving four fatalities is extremely rare and has not occurred in Germany for decades. Golf courses have an increased risk to be hit by lightning due to the relatively large distances to protective lightening conductors and often have many trees which increase the hazard risk potential during thunderstorms.

Harvard Citation style: Zack, F., Raphael, T., Kupfer, J., Jokuszies, A., Vogt, P., Buettner, A., et al. (2013) Four fatalities due to lightning on a golf course, Rechtsmedizin, 23(2), pp. 114-118. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00194-013-0870-0

APA Citation style: Zack, F., Raphael, T., Kupfer, J., Jokuszies, A., Vogt, P., Buettner, A., Pueschel, K., Schalke, B., Todt, M., & Dettmeyer, R. (2013). Four fatalities due to lightning on a golf course. Rechtsmedizin. 23(2), 114-118. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00194-013-0870-0