‘God set everything up to save me’: Boy injured in lightning strike makes ‘miraculous’ recovery
His memory of that day stops when his family got within 100 feet of the Williams Park boat ramp in Riverview and lightning struck
Florida boy survives lightning strike
An 11-year-old boy knocked unconscious by a bolt of lightning is getting better each day. FOX 13 Tampa Bay's Evan Axelbank reports.
RIVERVIEW, Fla. – An 11-year-old boy knocked unconscious by a bolt of lightning is getting better each day.
Levi Stock vividly remembers how the sky looked last Thursday afternoon as he went boating on Hillsborough Bay with his mom, dad and younger sister.
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"I just like breathing fresh air and the sun," Levi told FOX 13 Tampa Bay. "Then we saw clouds, so we decided to go back and we were the first to go back."
His memory of that day stops when his family got within 100 feet of the Williams Park boat ramp in Riverview and lightning struck.
"I was bending down and picking stuff up and I just remember, it was like an explosion in my face, and I had no idea what happened," Levi’s mother, Kristen Stock, said.
Florida woman witnesses child struck by lightning
A Florida woman describes seeing a child struck by lightning near a Tampa area boat ramp.
A lightning bolt, likely with enough energy to power a home for over a month, had gone through his body.
"It came out between my pinky toes," Levi stated.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMEONE IS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING
Levi's foot was injured in the lightning strike.
(Photo courtesy of Stock family)
The bolt knocked Levi out of the boat, but his dad was able to jump in, grab him, and get him to shore. He started doing CPR while 911 was called.
Levi regained consciousness ten hours later.
"I was just like, ‘Where am I?’ he said. "They said, 'You're in the hospital.' I asked what happened, and they said, ‘You got struck by lightning.’ I was just like, ‘I got struck by lightning?’"
Levi’s brain scans were normal, and he improved physically each day in the hospital.
"I was just like, ‘No way! Because the chances of that are one in a million,’" he said.
Levi was discharged four days later.
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"If I (touch my leg) like this, it stings, and sometimes it just like shocks," he shared.
For Levi’s mom, reminders of the moment he doesn't remember are everywhere. They have gotten well-wishes from all over the Bay area.
Florida boy makes miraculous recovery after being struck by lightning
11-year-old Levi Stock, along with his mother Kristen Stock, share what they remember about the day Levi was struck by lightning.
"The love we have felt this week from our church, family or family, our friends, the doctors, nurses, everybody has just been so amazing and helping every step of the way," she said.
Along with friendly ribbings from doctors who asked for lotto numbers, or from siblings who now call him ‘Thor’, he has learned plenty.
"I am really thankful for the people who prayed. God set up everything up to save me. Especially my dad who jumped in and saved me," he said. "God never stops helping people. I have a big story to tell."
A big story, about the smallest of likelihoods.
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