Alabama, US: A man went viral after he narrowly escaped the clutches of death.
Reports say that 37-year-old Henri Cheramie from Montgomery survived after a tree struck by lightning fell on top of his car.
The shocking incident happened on May 4 when Henri, a former stand-up comedian turned teacher, was waiting out a storm in his car when he noticed a lightning bolt. He then decided to stand up to take a closer look and that is when a huge tree branch fell on his car. If he stayed in his seat he would have lost his life.
In an interview, Henri said:
“I see lightning just arc across the sky and hit a tree. I lean a bit and go “did lightning just strike that’”and the next thing I know, half of my body is out of the sunroof and the top of the car is being weighed down by a giant branch that is bisected just where my face is.”
Henri also joked:
“My first thought was “is this a Monday or a Tuesday because this is the Mondayest Tuesday ever.”
A little later, another lightning bolt came down but this time it struck a powerline which eventually exploded.
“When that happened, electricity just sparked and everything lit up and I heard the power line pop and that’s when I started yelling for help,” Henri said, adding, “I didn’t want to die.”
Thankfully, help soon arrived and firefighters were eventually able to cut the car and three after which they pulled Henri out. Reportedly, he suffered some bruises and minor cuts.
Later on, he set up a GoFundMe page where he wrote the following:
“I do need money to repair my van and get it back on the road. I also lost some technology (phone, laptop) and school related materials. I am asking for help with buying replacement parts for my van as well as the ability to pay those who will be repairing said van. I need new tires, an oil change, a tune up, and a new battery.
“Both my partner and I are school teachers, and with the summer coming up, work isn’t as readily available.”
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