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In July 2017, a video purportedly showing a bolt of lightning striking a river went viral on social media: Meteorologist Dan Skoff lent credence to the claim when he reposted the video on Facebook, along with the following message: This video, however, does not actually show a bolt of lightning striking a river. When the video is slowed down, it is easy to tell that the lightning strike doesn't come from the sky, but from a wire on the hill. Here's a screenshot showing the moment of impact (which can be glimpsed at the 7-second mark in the video above): This video was uploaded to YouTube by Finnish water engineering company Rannikon Merityö in 2012, under the title Porapaalutusta, osa 3: Räjäytys (Drilling rig, part 3: Blasting). Although this clip was not accompanied by any additional information, the video was included on the company's web site on a page about underwater mining and blasting: As several pieces of debris can be seen floating in the river shortly after the explosion, it seems most likely that Rannikon Merityö used a detonation cord to dislodge a stump or a tree from the river. Regardless of the exact reason for this explosion, it's clear that this video shows the work of a dredging company, not a bolt of lightning. Meteorologist Skoff later updated his Facebook post to note that the video did not actually show a bolt of lightning striking a river: A similar explosion can be seen in the following video showing the removal of the City Mill Dam in the U.S. state of Georgia's Chattahoochee River. An almost identical lightning bolt can be seen flashing across the water at the 1:30 mark: While we do not advise hopping into an outdoor pool during a raging thunderstorm, we can assure you that should you disregard that advice and lightning strikes during your swim, it may be exceedingly unpleasant — but it won't look like these videos.
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