(may be broke/outdated!)
Question by Andrew: If lightning struck the ocean while you were swimming in it, how far would you have to be to be safe?
If lightning struck the ocean while you were swimming in it, how far away would you have to be at risk of being killed or seriously injured?
Best answer:
Answer by cyswxman
Actually not all that far. The energy from the strike is dispersed in the water within only about 6-8 feet or so.
What do you think? Answer below!
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One Response
Actually it depends on what can kill you. You are certainly thinking of electricity but that is the least of your problems and, as Cyswxman writes, you would be safe only a few feet from the point of impact. But you may not survive the shock wave.
You see, as the lightning meets the water, it not only heats it over boiling point but even to the point that it becomes a plasma; as it does with air. The sudden increase of volume causes a shock wave that can kill any form of life over a greater distance than electricity. Many years ago, I worked in the North Sea for the oil industry and we went with a mini-submarine on the top to some boulders with dynamite to blow them. This was activated from the surface and about half an hour later, we would take our service dinghy to pick up the fishes that were killed by the shock wave. Yes, dynamite fishing if forbidden in most countries but … we were working for the oil production, not fishing! ;-)