Australian tourist killed by lightning
A scenic hike through Australia’s popular Kings Canyon Rim Walk ended in devastation when a nearby lightning storm killed a tourist visiting the canyon with his family.
Police were alerted to the incident by a Parks and Wildlife ranger around 5 p.m. local time on Monday, according to Northern Territory Police Superintendent Pauline Vicary. The family of five was walking along the trail approximately 300 kilometers southwest of Alice Springs when 35-year-old Antony Van Der Meer, who was believed to be carrying a metal tripod, was struck by an electric bolt.
Auscape/UIG via Getty Images FILEInitial response teams comprised of Parks and Wildlife members and Kings Canyon clinic staff found Van Der Meer with life-threatening injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Van Der Meer's four family members were not injured, according to police, but they “have suffered extreme shock.”
“Weather conditions in the area were a result of ex Tropical Cyclone Hilda and conditions at the time were challenging with heavy rain and waterways experiencing flash flooding,” Vicary said in a statement.
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