Lightning strikes into Laser dinghy, sailor in hospital

by Peter Campbell on 26 Jan 2004 Gosford sailor Chris Meech is recovering in Gosford Hospital after his Laser dinghy was literally blown apart by a bolt of lightning while he was sailing on Brisbane Waters on Saturday.

Meech, a Laser Masters sailor, was heading back to Gosford Sailing Club after race officials had abandoned racing for the day because of the severity of storms in the area when a bolt hit the mast of his 4.23 metre Laser, blowing a hole in the deck which then delaminated from the hull.

According to race officials, Meech was thrown 30 feet by the force of the lightning strike, landing on his back.

The club rescue boat dashed to his assistance, immediately calling for an ambulance to meet them at the clubhouse.

‘He is recovering but is being kept under observation at Gosford Hospital,’ Gosford Sailing Club Commodore Brad English said today. ‘He told us he felt completely numb when he landed; fortunately he was wearing a buoyancy vest.

‘The Laser sailors were sailing back to the club through the moored yachts, on the assumption that lightning would hit the taller mast of one of these boats rather than a small dinghy mast,’ English added.

‘We were getting severe thunderstorms at the time, and the clubhouse literally shuddered when this one hit Chris just a few hundred metres from the shore.’