South Carolina Man Says He Was Struck By Lightning 11 Times In 12 Years

A 62-year-old man from South Carolina, Melvin Roberts, claims that he has been struck by lightning 11 times in the last 12 years. However, the Guinness World Records says there isn’t enough medical evidence to include him on their list.

In an interview with Yahoo News, Melvin Roberts says that he feels like he is “being stalked” and that he was once struck by lightning in broad daylight while operating a bulldozer. Though the Guinness World Records and scientists are skeptical about the man’s claims, Roberts wife says that she has personally witnessed nine of the eleven lightning strikes. In addition to her personal account of nine of the strikes, medical records for Melvin show a number of injuries consistent with a lightning strike.

Melvin outlined some of the unusual side effects of being struck by lightning including a loss of taste for days following the strike.

“Yeah, it was a bad shock. You can’t taste anything for days, and days, ringing in my ears. I could eat possum stew or monkey brains and it would taste like sulphur, you know.”

In 2011, after his sixth lightening strike, WYFF interviewed Roberts, who discussed the physical scars present on the man’s body. The report indicated that Roberts had given up work on heavy machinery after being struck by lightening while operating a bulldozer and twice while mowing the lawn.

Reporters noted scars on Melvin’s ankles, feet, legs, and head that doctors say are consistent with a lightning strike and note that the man has nerve damage in his left leg. Melvin says he was confined to a wheelchair for sometime following one of the lightning strikes. According to the Daily Mail, Roberts has a large medical file containing photos and descriptions that are consistent with lightning strike injuries. Doctors note the exit wounds on his body and problems with speech and memory are symptoms they would expect to see from a lightning strike.

The report also notes that Melvin has a box of broken watches, all stopped the moment the lightning strike happened. His wife is a good sport about the ordeal, and says that anytime there is a storm, she moves away from her husband because she is probably going to have to call 911.

“If we hear thunder, I’ll move. I gotta go to the other room, ’cause someone’s gotta call 911.”

Do you believe Melvin Roberts claims that he was struck by lightning 11 times in the past 12 years?

[Image Credit: Melvin Roberts / WYFF Screenshot]