Woman struck by lightning while filming thunderstorm

'I just want to raise awareness for anyone who plans on doing what I did - don't do it, don't be a numpty like me'

A woman caught the moment her phone was struck by a bolt of lightning as she tried to film a thunderstorm.

Tracey Kutluol was filming from her living room window when her iPhone was zapped.

Moments beforehand as she opened her window to get a better look at the storm, she jokingly said: "I'm going to get electrocuted".

The mother-of-two, who was with her children Max, 10 and Mia, 14, said an electric shock ran up her left arm, leaving her with extreme pins and needles.

The 42-year-old added it was her new rubber phone cover -- delivered just hours before she was struck -- that saved her life.

Ms Kutluol said: "I was trying to film how dark it was and hoping for a little lightning that I could capture but I did not anticipate that it would hit me. The lightning hit the pop socket on my phone and if I am being honest, that saved my life otherwise my phone would have probably exploded.

"You have no idea how powerful lightning is, I could still feel pins and needles from my left hand starting from my pinky all the way up to my elbow. That was when I realised that my life flashed before me. I just threw my phone and we all started to panic and scream."

Worried the house might catch on fire, Tracey and her children ran into her bedroom on the ground floor of the townhouse, where she thought it would be safest.

She said: "My son tried to make sure the cat wouldn't jump out of the window. My daughter thought the place was going to go on fire. As a mother, my job was to try and comfort my kids and keep them calm. We pulled all the plugs off the sockets and ran to my room. We stayed there until 11.30pm."

Ms Kutluol said she will "never forget" but said she is thankful to the eBay seller who she purchased the phone case from.

She said: "I don't know his name but I messaged him today telling him I was so thankful for that case as it actually saved my life. At first, my children thought my case looked funny but I bet they are happy with it now. I think I will probably buy the pink version of that phone cover from him."

She said she wants to raise awareness for anyone else who plans to film lightning. Since the incident, she has posted a video which has had over 30,000 views.

Ms Kutluol added: "I just want to raise awareness for anyone who plans on doing what I did - don't do it, don't be a numpty like me. I've had calls from my family in Germany and when my husband came into the house last night he said what I did was irresponsible. I did have a cry about it all, so please be careful out there as it can happen to anyone."

SWNS