Christian Howard, 27, known by the username Chrispymate on the streaming platform Twitch, says he was shocked by lightning while playing a video game inside his home during a storm. The moment was captured by his webcam while he was streaming.
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Wake County gamer says he was struck by lightning while livestreaming on Twitch
By Flynn Snyder, WRAL reporter
An online gamer in southern Wake County got quite the shock during a recent livestream.
Christian Howard, 27, known by the username Chrispymate on the streaming platform Twitch, says he was shocked by lightning while playing a video game inside his home during a storm.Â
The gamer says he was wearing earbuds partially made out of metal when he felt heavy pressure and a shock in his ears.Â
“Bro, I just got struck by lightning,” Howard told viewers after the shock. “I had my earbuds in. A big thing of lightning hit. I felt lightning go through my ears.”Â
Howard’s webcam captured the moment it struck during his livestream to Twitch followers on July 19.
“It felt as if you were in the front row of a rock concert and the drummer just hit one good thwack and all the bass just hits you…that went into my ears,” Howard told WRAL News. “At the same time, if you were to take a gum strip gag toy, and just pull it, you get that little zap. I had both of those sensations. My vision went white, and then I bolted.”
WRAL meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth describes lightning as an electrical current that will keep running until the circuit breaks.Â
“You don’t want to be that thing that breaks the circuit,” said Wilmoth. “Lightning can travel through pipes, through electrical wires, and you don’t want to be attached to any type of device that’s attached to a light socket or electrical socket.”
Even people who are indoors during a lightning storm should avoid using devices connected to an electrical socket, Wilmoth warned.
“You can watch TV. You just don’t want to be connected to that television. You can be on a cellphone that’s not connected to a wall,” Wilmoth said. “Headphones connected to a device that’s plugged into a wall, that’s certainly a danger in an electrical storm.”Â
Howard ended the livestream soon after the shock and is taking precautions before the next storm hits.
“It was intense… If I know there’s a storm, I’ll probably try to avoid it as best I can,” said Howard.Â
The gamer was not seriously injured and thanked viewers who saw the shock live for their concern.
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