Escaping Death In A Storm

Way back in July 1925, the Roaring Twenties were sweeping the nation as people danced the Charleston, drank at gin bars and generally had a very good time.

One person who had a pretty bad time that month was Mike Illchuk of Vermilion.

On July 1, 1925, Canada Day, or Dominion Day as it was called, Mike was out working in Vermilion as a thunderstorm passed over the area in the morning.

While working in his field north of town, Mike suddenly found himself in the middle of a target of a lightning bolt. With two other men who were helping him, he was holding a crowbar when the lightning bolt struck.

All three men were thrown to the ground. The two other men were stunned from the shock while Mike was knocked unconscious by the lightning bolt.

His clothes were torn from his body from the strike, as were his heavy leather boots. His hair was singed clean off his head and a strip down the forefront of his body seven centimetres wide was burned into his body.

Nearby, another man was riding on horseback when he saw the accident. He immediately rode to the closest home and called for a doctor.

Mike was taken to the hospital where he immediately began to improve.

It was a very close call for him, but he survived the lightning bolt that took him close to death’s door, tore off his clothing and left him with the burns.

The other two men were perfectly fine, beyond the initial fright of the lightning bolt striking right in front of them.

Contact Craig at craig@canadaehx.com

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