*Man survives lightning strike and lives to tell the tale
What began as an ordinary Sunday evening turned into a terrifying fight for life when lightning struck two people at a combi stop in Tsolamosese, next to the Mankadile football grounds.
The bizarre incident sent tongues wagging among superstitious members of the community who insist there was barely any evidence of rain.
A 46-year-old woman was tragically killed on her way from church, while a 31-year-old man, Lesego Swimbo who as at the same combi stop at the time, survived to tell a chilling story of how he felt his life slipping away in seconds.
Swimbo, from Mbalambi village in the Northeast district had just left a friend’s house in Tsolamosese and was waiting for transport home. According to him, there was nothing unusual about the day and the weather.
“My friend was on the other side of the road, shouting goodbye,” he recalled.
Then the weather suddenly changed. “It started drizzling lightly. The next thing I remember, I felt a powerful force throw me to the ground,” he said.
Swimbo says he saw a huge light and instantly lost all strength and struggled to breathe as his friend watched in horror. “I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. My body just gave up on me.”
His friend rushed to his side and noticed that Swimbo’s tongue was blocking his airway.
“He pulled my tongue so I could breathe again. That’s when I felt like my life was flashing before my eyes,” Swimbo said.
Moments later, as he slowly regained consciousness, a chilling sight awaited him. “Just a few steps away from me was a woman lying on the ground. She wasn’t moving. She looked lifeless.”
Emergency services rushed to the scene and transported both victims to Julia Molefe Clinic where the woman was certified dead upon arrival. Swimbo was later transferred to Princess Marina Hospital for further treatment.
He says when he arrived at the hospital, he still could not speak. “The paramedics kept telling me to try to scream so I could get my voice back,” he said.
After several attempts, his voice finally returned, though hoarse and weak.
Even though he had no visible injuries, Swimbo remained in hospital for two days undergoing medical tests and was discharged on Tuesday afternoon.
Looking back, he believes his survival is nothing short of a miracle. “It is only by God’s grace that I am alive,” he said.
Mogoditshane Police Station Commander, Superintendent Mompoloki Ramaphoi, confirmed that the deceased woman was on her way from church when the tragedy struck.
“She was a member of Eloyi Church, branch 232 in Tsolamosese,” he said.
