Three brothers and sisters want to take a sad selfie in the rain, capturing the scene of them being hit by lightning

Taking a selfie is a very common thing, but sometimes surprises can happen. While posing for a photo, the three teenagers, who are siblings, captured the moment when lightning struck them.

According to the BBC, Rachel, Isobel and Andrew Jobson were out on bicycles when they stopped under a tree near Hampton Court Palace in South London earlier this week. The three stopped to avoid the rain and let their oldest sister, Rachel, use the nearby restroom. The three then posed under a tree to take pictures together, but they didn’t expect what would happen next.

Isobel, 23 and a PhD student told the BBC: “The photo was taken of us at the time of the lightning strike at 17:05. I took a picture of us smiling and then wanted a sad photo in the rain. Suddenly, I lay on the ground and could hear nothing but a high-pitched humming. My whole right arm is numb and I can’t move.”

“We were taking pictures with our phones and right after that, I was lying on the ground. I feel disjointed. Me and my sister were screaming.”, Rachel said. “I had burns on my thighs and stomach and it left lightning-like marks on me and my sister. I can’t feel my arm.”

All three were helped by passersby. The three then waited at the Moseley Lock Cafe before paramedics arrived and took them to St. George in Tooting. While all were injured, Andrew was more stunned by the incident than physically harmed.

His sisters, on the other hand, suffered more. Doctors believe that a titanium plate that Isobel had implanted in her arm after a cycling accident the previous year could have been the cause of the lightning that struck them.

Rachel says: “My brother’s arm is very hot because of the titanium plate. Everyone was surprised at what happened to us.”

Luckily, the three seem to be recovering well, with Rachel only feeling a headache and Isobel’s wrist aching, things could have been a lot worse.

About 240,000 lightning-related incidents were reported globally in a 2008 census, with no more recent information available for this number. According to the BBC, between 30 and 60 people are struck by lightning each year in the UK, with an average of three deaths. Therefore, accidental photos taken at the exact moment when lightning strikes the photographer is extremely rare.

Reference: Petapixel