This archive report was first published on 7 July 2020.
On a fateful Saturday, July 4, 2020, Ivan Zakborovsky, a 16-year-old Russian footballer, was struck by a bolt of lightning during a training session with his teammates.
According to eyewitnesses, Zakborovsky was doing drills near the touchline when the incident occurred, and he was quickly taken to the hospital where doctors put him into an induced coma.
Club general director Igor Mayorov stated that there was no indication of a thunderstorm, and the team would not have trained if there was any sign of bad weather.
"There was a clear sky, albeit overcast, but neither rain nor wind. If there was a thunderstorm, then we would not have been training," Mayorov said.
Despite suffering severe burns, Zakborovsky's condition is reportedly stable, with no life-threatening complications, according to his club, Znamya Truda.
Mayorov also revealed that Zakborovsky will continue to be in a coma to allow his brain to rest and recover, with positive recovery dynamics.
"Everyone acted quickly, very professionally, the ambulance arrived in eight minutes. Most likely he had a respiratory arrest, he received first aid, maybe because of this the child is alive," Mayorov added.
