It’s true. Listening to an iPod can damage your hearing - especially when it’s struck by lightning.
Colorado 17-year-old Jason Bunch was mowing the lawn and listening to his iPod when the gadget was struck by a bolt of lightning. It appears that the current traveled up the earbud wires, fried his face and ears and lit his shirt on fire.
Although he’s still alive, his hearing was damaged and he’s probably going to “Think Different” for awhile.
What’s interesting is the story mentions that Jason was listening to Metallica. Why is that interesting to me?
Well one, I’m a huge Metallica fan and two, back in August, 1984, Metallica released an album titled “Ride The Lightning”. I wonder if that’s what he was listening to on his iPod?!
Source: Denver Post
- Nokia to Develop Lightning-Detecting Cell Phone | May 25, 2007
- James Hetfield Hair Watch | January 13, 2007
- Look what I found | November 11, 2002
- BUSH: THE MISSING YEARS | August 1, 2004
- Waterproof, Interactive, iPod Protection | June 7, 2006
Does it say whether he was mowing the lawn and listening to an ipod during a storm? Because those would seem like no-nos to me. And a single random lightning bolt from out of the blue would probably have had better targets, like the lawnmower itself (though I’m no physics major…).
Here is a quote from the story: “Jason Bunch was listening to Metallica on his iPod while mowing the lawn outside his Castle Rock home Sunday afternoon when lightning hit him.
The last thing the 17-year-old remembers was that a storm was coming from the north and he had only about 15 minutes before he should go inside.
Next thing he knew, he was in his bed, bleeding from his ears and vomiting. He was barefoot and had taken off his burned T-shirt and gym shorts. He doesn’t know how he got back in the house. “
Yeah, maybe I should read the actual article before commenting on the story. Hopefully I’ll remember that some day.
Actually, I heard the tale end of this story on the radio earlier today and apparently Bunch and his mom are claiming the iPod worked as an antenna, since he was surrounded by 15-ft. trees at the time.