Which is the proper field management after a wilderness lightning strike?

• A. Run to the strike zone to retrieve belongings; ignore victim.
• B. Check responsiveness; treat life-threatening conditions; perform CPR if not breathing; evacuate; avoid the strike zone after the event.
• C. Ignore burns; wait for symptoms to appear.
• D. Take shelter and wait for weather to clear without assisting.

Answer: (B)

Lightning injuries require immediate life-saving care plus ongoing scene safety. The first priority is to ensure the area is safe and to assess the person’s condition quickly. If they are unresponsive or not breathing, you must address life-threatening issues right away and start CPR if there is no breathing. In a wilderness setting, beginning chest compressions and rescue breaths promptly can save a life, and you continue until help arrives or the person resumes breathing.

After the person is stabilized, evacuate them to definitive medical care as soon as possible. Lightning can affect more than just the skin—cardiac rhythms, breathing, neurological function, and hidden trauma from a fall or being struck can all be involved, and delays in care can worsen outcomes.

Avoid the strike zone after the event because ground current, energized objects, or another lightning strike can still pose danger even after the storm has passed. Moving to a safer area while you assess and transport the patient reduces further risk while you provide care.

Choices that involve rushing back into the strike area for belongings, ignoring injuries, waiting for symptoms, or simply sheltering without helping fail to address the immediate life threats and ongoing hazards present with wilderness lightning injuries. The best approach combines urgent life support with safety from residual danger.