A Man Was Struck and Killed By Lightning… 48 Years After His Dad Died the Same Way

If you laugh at this next story, you're a terrible person... but we won't judge you.

In 1963, the father of five-year old Stephen Rooney went fishing in Fortescue, New Jersey (on the southern coast, across the Delaware Bay from Dover).

He was holding a metal fishing knife... which served as a conductor when a bolt of lightning struck and killed him.

Fast forward 48 years, to this past July 4th weekend.  Now 54 years old, Stephen Rooney was at a family barbecue in Hammonton, New Jersey.

There were thunderstorms in the area, but Stephen tried to calm everyone down.  He said, quote, "Don't worry guys... you're with me.  Lightning doesn't strike twice in the same family."

A short time later, Stephen left the table to smoke a cigar.  A bolt of lightning struck the sycamore tree he was standing under, and Stephen was electrocuted.

Paramedics tried to revive him, but he never regained consciousness and died five days later.

(NBC Philadelphia)