Young footballer killed by lightning strike while waiting at bus stop
A young footballer has died after being struck by lightning while waiting at the bus stop with his coach.
Owen Isaías Cuadra León, 20, died on Sunday when lightning hit in Managua, Nicaragua. The young sportsman and his football coach, Juan Arana Martínez, 49, were waiting under a tree for the rain to stop in Plaza la Biblia at the time of the incident. They were quickly transferred to the Alejandro Dávila Bolaños Military Hospital to receive medical attention, where Owen sadly later died. His coach is still currently hospitalised with serious injuries.
A video too upsetting to publish from the scene shows two people lying at the base of a tree while officials assist, loading them onto stretchers. Owen, a native of San Isidro de la Cruz Verde, in the southern area of the Nicaraguan capital, was part of the Foxen soccer team. In a statement, the team said: "Due to the sad death of the player Owen Cuadra belonging to our colleagues, the Foxes FC team, on behalf of our team we send our deepest condolences to the grieving family."
In May, a British man died after he was hit by lightning while paddleboarding in Greece. Scott Seddon, 26, from Liverpool, was in the sea during a thunderstorm in Agia Agathi, Rhodes, as his girlfriend filmed him from the beach when the horror unfolded. Greek newspaper Rodiaki reported that lightning struck the water near the paddleboarder, causing him to fall into the sea injured.
The newspaper said a beachgoer, a Brazilian footballer who plays for a local side, dived into the sea to pull the man back to shore. Medics then took him to a nearby hospital before he was declared dead, the publication added. However, Scott's dad, Stephen Seddon, 68, told the BBC his son had returned to the beach when the tragedy happened. Mr Seddon, who is understood to have a holiday home in Rhodes, said: "He wasn't some silly tourist who gets on a board to go somewhere dangerous. He knows the water and respects the water."
Scott's mum Jackie, 56, also told the BBC the storm had gone when her son was on the beach. Mrs Seddon called it a "freak accident" and added: "He wasn't on the board and it was not anywhere near him." A number of friends left tributes to him online. One said: "Rest in peace Scotty, we will miss you mate" while another added: "Miss your energy, you absolutely beautiful soul." A third wrote: "RIP Scott, your positivity and energy was infectious."
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