VILANO BEACH, Fla. -- Vilano Beach resident Falk Weltzien is lucky to be alive, after he was struck by lightning on Monday. "You hear all the stories about the danger and people getting struck, but I never thought it would happen to me," says Weltzien. But it did.
The 39-year-old and his 14-year-old son, Kai, had been kitesurfing. They had just taken a break and were heading back out to sea. Kai was holding onto his dad's kite, while Falk was strapping on his metal harness. And what happened next, he doesn't remember. "My son, he saw a big flash and a big noise and he saw me on the ground. And then he started screaming for help," says Weltzien.
A woman in the area performed CPR on him until rescue crews arrived. He was rushed to Flagler Hospital. The next thing he remembers, he is waking up in a hospital bed with burns on his arms. He says, "Everything is very sore like I exercised for hours and hours or was in an accident."
He says this experience is something he and his son will never forget. "It will stay with me forever for sure. I hope I don't get hit anymore. It's not fun," he says. But he says, that won't stop him and his son from enjoying their time on the water. "I guess I'll watch better how many clouds are in the sky but no, it's not going to stop me," he says.
Weltzien was released from Flagler Hospital ealy Tuesday. He says it won't be long before he's out on the beach again.
