A soccer player was struck by lightning during a match this weekend in Peru, killing him and injuring four other players in a horrific incident captured live on a video broadcast of the match. Lightning struck José Hugo De la Cruz Meza, 39, defender of the Chocca Family team, as players and referees left the field due to deteriorating weather conditions at the Coto Coto stadium near the town of Huancayo, Sunday, according to Peru. public news agency Andina.
De la Cruz died immediately following the strike, Peruvian media reported, before being taken to a local hospital. The team’s goalkeeper, Juan Chocca Llacta, cousin of De la Cruz, is in serious condition and three other players were burned.
Video of the strike shows the players calmly walking off the field when a flash of light briefly engulfs Meza.
Onda Deportivo Huancavelica/Reuters
He and about half a dozen other players immediately fall. Llacta, who was walking right next to Meza, and five other players slightly further away, can be seen moving quickly again, with some appearing to roll in pain, but the clip does not show De la Cruz moving again.
A post-match video, which ended after the lightning strike about 20 minutes into the match, showed people looking at scorch marks on the grass where the lightning struck.
Llacta, who survived his serious injuries, told Peruvian newspaper Daily Mail on Monday that they left the field together, arms around each other, just before lightning struck.
“I dropped him, we took three steps and lightning struck us,” he was quoted as saying. “…I felt a flash of light in my head and my mind went blank, then I don’t remember anything else. I regained consciousness in the hospital. I thank God for giving me a chance to live. I’m surprised to be alive.
According to the newspaper, De la Cruz’s family held a wake for him in his hometown near Huancayo, displaying his fire-charred uniform next to his coffin.
The Daily Mail reported that his family was seeking financial support from local authorities to help cover funeral costs and for the future as his wife had to look after their three young children alone.