Two men critically injured after being hit by lightning on golf course
Two men are in life-threatening condition after being hit by lightning on a golf course in Kanata on Monday.
A spokesperson for Ottawa Paramedics said it happened at 5:48 p.m. on a golf course near Old Carp road.
Two adult males suffered critical injuries and were taken to hospital in life-threatening condition.
CTV News has confirmed it happened at Loch March Golf and Country Club.
"Both sustained critical injuries requiring resuscitation by both paramedics and firefighter," said Ottawa Paramedic service superintendent Marc-Antoine Deschamps. "They were taken to hospital in critical condition and their injuries were life-threatening."
The sudden storm brought heavy downpours, localized flooding and some power outages.
Paramedics say when you hear thunder, seek shelter inside immediately and don't go outside for at least 30 minutes from the time you last hear a rumble.
"Whether it's indoors or in a closed vehicle, that part is really important because golf carts, tractors, motorcycles, they don't provide any type of protection against lightning because it's not the tires as a lot of people believe that protect you from the lightning but the fact that you're inside," Deschamps said.
In addition, he said, avoid open spaces and open shelters like gazebos. If you see someone get struck by lightning, call 9-1-1 and start CPR if they're not breathing.
"You will not get a shock, the human body does not hold any type of electrical charge so CPR is quite safe and if you have a defibrillator accessible make sure to get it as quickly as possible," said Deschamps.
Experts say Monday's powerful storm is a brief preview of what's to come this summer.
"Now that we're into the summer season severe thunderstorms are going to be possible week-to-week," said Steven Flisfeder, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.
"It's something we have to watch out for. Whether or not there's going to be an increase in activity that's not something we're able to say this far out but it is something people should be preparing for throughout the summer."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.