Sometimes, the mountain gods decide to play a brutal game of chance, and one Austrian hiker found himself unexpectedly thrust into their lightning roulette. Mathias Steinhuber’s routine mountain photo session near Lake Tahoe turned into a near-death experience that defies the statistical improbability of lightning strikes.

A Bolt from the Blue

At 9,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada, Steinhuber was suddenly transformed from casual photographer to lightning strike survivor. The bolt, hotter than the sun’s surface, blasted through his body with such intensity that it literally ripped every piece of clothing from his frame, down to his underwear. “It was like in a dream,” Steinhuber recalled from his UC Davis Hospital Burn Center bed, describing waking up covered in blood with his girlfriend’s terrified screams echoing in the distance.

The Incredible Odds

Statistically speaking, Steinhuber beat astronomical odds. The National Weather Service notes that being struck by lightning happens to just 1 in 3,000 people, making his survival even more remarkable. With an entrance wound on his head and an exit wound on his foot, he survived what could have easily been a fatal encounter.

Lessons from the Lightning

While Steinhuber’s story sounds like something from an extreme survival documentary, it carries a critical reminder: mountain weather can turn deadly in an instant. Hikers and outdoor enthusiasts should always check weather reports, understand lightning safety protocols, and remember that no photograph is worth risking your life.

Steinhuber’s wry observation says it all: “I would’ve rather won the lottery”. In this case, he won something far more precious, a second chance at life.