I Survived (five): THIS destroys your brain, your health and your nervous system. And no, I'm not talking about Footballers' Wives but lightning - you know, the stuff that goes with thunder.

This programme came with a warning to stop viewing if you felt dizzy or nauseous, the same symptoms induced by some TV presenters.

Lightning is the world's number one natural killer, striking down more than 1,000 people worldwide every year. There are 100 lightning bolts hitting the Earth every second, adding up to eight million chances to be hit every day. You can't see it coming and it can even get you in your own home (on second thoughts, perhaps we are talking about Footballers' Wives).

As the title suggests, the opening edition of the I Survived series featured survivers reliving their ordeal, while experts conducted experiments to learn more about lightning. This was interesting up to a point, that point being about halfway through the hour-long programme. There's only so much you want to know about lightning.

Former high-flying stockbroker Michael Utley is obsessed by this natural phenomenon, which isn't surprising as he survived being struck with one million bolts on the golf course four years ago. A friend recalled how he staggered around, smoke coming from his body. "He was a scary sight," he added unnecessarily.

He's had to learn how to walk again, how to swallow and still has problems with his balance. The experts agreed that statistically he shouldn't be alive. Utley is determined to find out why he survived, setting up a website to collect information from other victims. It appears to have become his life's work.

There are many experts around the world willing to help him. Dr Ian Cotton in Manchester took us through the types of lightning - direct hits, side flashes and ground strikes. One startling piece of footage showed footballers falling to the ground simultaneously as lightning electrified the pitch.

Experiments brought surprising results. Metal doesn't attract lightning. Being wet may offer some protection, so can wearing rubber soles. How fit you are and your general health can affect how seriously you're hurt if struck.

Experts agree to disagree on some matters. Some believe that the cross and chain Campbell Gillespie was wearing when struck may have saved his life. Others think it was the reason he was hit in the first place.

Being indoors doesn't mean you're safe. Switchboard operator David Smith was working at a Florida emergency call centre when struck by lightning, although wearing a head set may have resulted in less current flowing through him. All the same, it melted his fillings, popped the crowns from his teeth and left him deaf in one ear. "It felt like a sledgehammer in my head; it felt like my head exploded," he recalled.

Published: 07/04/2005