Paraphrased by:
Steve Waldrop
September 5, 2003

Park County, Colorado: Matt Thomsen doesn't remember what happened. He was was standing near his truck, waiting for his friends when he was struck by lightning..

When he woke up, he discovered that lightning had knocked out his tongue ring and left a purple streak running the length of his body.

Thomsen realizes that he is a very lucky young man. "It's great to be breathing again", said Thomsen, 17. "I'm very thankful."

"I saw a bright red flash and heard a big bang," said Thomsen's friend, Chris Allen also 17. "I ran for cover and I saw Matt go to the ground. I ran back over to him and he was smoking from his chest."

Thomsen was already turning blue, by the time another friend, Jessica Folsom, arrived. . "People just starting yelling", "Do mouth-to-mouth," Folsom said. "Nobody was doing it, so I started doing it.

Both Allen and Folsom said they had not revived anyone before and knew how only from watching television.