Thomas Fahmy was walking near Todt Hill Road and Windsor Road in Staten Island on August 27 when lightning struck him while he was about 15 to 25 feet from a parked car [1, 2, 3]. Fahmy, a staff member in Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis’ Staten Island office, was carrying an umbrella at the time [1, 2]. He immediately fell to the ground but remained conscious despite severe pain, a burning sensation, numbness, and tingling, particularly in his legs [1, 2, 4, 5, 3].

Despite the shock, Fahmy managed to stand and walk to a nearby house seeking help, fearing the risk of being struck again [1, 2, 3]. Stefanie Homan, a woman inside the house, assisted him [1, 2]. Paramedics then took Fahmy to Northwell Staten Island University Hospital, where he was observed overnight and discharged the following day [1, 2, 4, 5, 3].

Medical examinations found no visible burns or external injuries despite Fahmy’s reports of a burning sensation and the electric shock [4, 5, 3]. "I underwent multiple medical exams and had no burns at all," Fahmy said [4]. He expressed gratitude for surviving and a renewed appreciation for life and nature, adding, "I am a person with faith, but surviving such a lightning strike is a miracle. I want to cherish life and regularly breathe fresh air instead of letting daily life overwhelm me" [1].

On September 1, Congresswoman Malliotakis publicly expressed relief and gratitude that Fahmy was safe. She thanked the helpful citizen and hospital staff who aided his recovery. "We are very happy and thankful to learn that our Staten Island office’s key member Thomas Fahmy came through the lightning strike safely last week," she said [1].

According to the US Red Cross, lightning travels rapidly and can cause injury or death by passing through the body, resulting in burns, cardiac arrest, fractures, or other injuries [5]. Fahmy’s survival without burns is highly unusual given the risks.

After the incident, Fahmy reportedly purchased a Mega Millions lottery ticket, hoping to hold onto his luck [4, 5]. Fahmy remains under routine medical observation but had been discharged healthy as of August 28 [1, 2, 4, 5, 3].