CYPRESS, Texas – A 13-year-old Cypress boy survived a terrifying lightning strike inside his own bedroom.
Vlad Skuridin told KPRC 2 News Reporter Corley Peel he was playing video games on his computer in his room off Cypress View Drive and Spring Cypress Road when lightning struck the home.
The family believes the bolt hit a nearby tree and traveled into the house directly into the teen’s abdomen through a metal part of his desk that was touching his skin.
“I was just sitting here, everything was going fine. I was playing games, I was not expecting anything and there is a metal part right here and my skin was touching it, so I got shocked,” Vlad said.
He says the shock sent him flying.
“I just jumped out really fast and I started screaming. It was crazy. I honestly thought I was gonna die. I did not think I was going to survive that. I don’t know how I survived it,” he said.
Vlad’s father immediately called 911. Firefighters responded to the scene, where Harris County Precinct 4 Constables say the electrical current traveled through the home’s wiring and caused a small fire in the attic. The family showed KPRC 2 News the damage inside their home, including a hole in their wall.
EMS evaluated Vlad at the scene. He did not need to go to the hospital.
Hours later, he was still processing the experience.
“I’m feeling fine, but I’m still a little shocked and dizzy. Not from the shock, from the lightning, but just everything that happened here is crazy,” Vlad said.
The close call left the teen with a new perspective on life.
“Anything can happen at any moment. You just got to be ready for it. You got to be nice to everybody. It can end whenever. It can end whenever you want, man,” Vlad said.
Harris County Precinct 4 Constables are reminding residents that during thunderstorms, it is best to avoid using corded electronics and to stay away from electrical wiring and plumbing, as lightning can travel through a home’s electrical system.