Mind Boggler #1: The Human Lightning Rod

Roy Sullivan survived lightning seven times in his lifetime

Roy Cleveland Sullivan (1912-1983) was a park ranger in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Between 1942 and 1977, Sullivan was hit by lightning seven times, which earned him an immortal place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

For this accomplishment, Sullivan was nicknamed “The Human Lightning Rod,” and others began to avoid him and the places that he frequented

All seven of the strikes were documented both by the Superintendent of Shenandoah National Park, and by doctors who treated Sullivan—hence, his Guinness Book of World Records status.

Sullivan finally died at the age of seventy-one from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the stomach. It was reported that he was suffering from unrequited love.