Hayley Mace A schoolboy has said he feels lucky to be alive after being struck by lightning at the Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival.Thirteen-year-old Connor Laughlin was at the event with his grandfather Tommy on Friday when he was hit by lightning while he was holding an umbrella during a thunderstorm.

Hayley Mace

A schoolboy has said he feels lucky to be alive after being struck by lightning at the Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival.

Thirteen-year-old Connor Laughlin was at the event with his grandfather Tommy on Friday when he was hit by lightning while he was holding an umbrella during a thunderstorm.

He was treated by St John Ambulance volunteers at the scene and taken to the James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston but was left with only a small red mark on his shoulder, and it is thought that his rubber soled trainers acted as insulation and saved him from serious injury.

Speaking to a national Sunday newspaper, Connor, who is from Carlisle in Cumbria, said that being struck at 1.13pm on Friday 13 at the age of 13 made him feel very lucky not to have been hurt.

He said: “I was standing holding the umbrella and I saw the lightning coming towards me then it just hit me. It went right through my whole body. It was a massive shock and it felt really sore as it was going through me.

“My legs buckled under me. It pushed me right over, the umbrella fell out of my hand and I hit the ground. It was like being hit by a truck and so loud.

“My elbow and shoulder started tingling and I felt really dazed as if I was going to faint. In the ambulance, when they told me what time it had happened, I was completely spooked but I feel really lucky as well. I'm still shocked at what happened. I could have died.”