Remember the guy who owned Cowboy Concrete in Ft. Work, Ken? May have been the same storm, I can't recall. But he was trying to make the run back in when lightning hit the front pedestal on his bow. Killed him and his partner instantly. They were found adrift in the east side boat lane. Pack and I came very close to being struck one December when a severe cold front came roaring in about four hours ahead of schedule. Since that day, if can hear thunder, I'm off the lake!
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I do not recall if it was him or not. The one I remember well is an aluminum boat running from the helicopter pad back toward 2946 that was struck. There were two fatalities. One was a young boy. The boat kept going until it hit land. That is the one Kells found.

There have been way to many times where, you think, man that was close.. Why is it, the damn fish bite like its the best day ever when the air is super charged, and ready to strike. I know for a fact, the fish going nuts on a topwater, as the storm moves in, has kept me fishing well beyond good reasoning.. Winnsboro, behind the iron bridge July 4th weekend, storm rolls in fish are killing a chug bug, can't seem to stop fishing, the bite was so good, rod starts buzzing, hair on our heads and arm starts to bristle, BOOM it hits a tree 50-60 feet from us. We spent the next 40 or so minutes under the bridge...

Fishing Bassing for Babies on Fork, mouth of Alligator, big flat on the south side, again the fish were biting virtually every cast.. My wife Kay says HEY, look at this, her line was literally rising upwards off the water, we both freaked out threw the rods down in the boat, got as low in the bottom of the boat as we could and, BOOM, another close call.. We reeled them up and hauled it over to Oak Ridge and waited it out.. These accounts are but just a couple times the same scenario has played out with the fish biting so good it was clouding good judgement... Lucky to be here, don't do that anymore.

There have been way to many times where, you think, man that was close.. Why is it, the damn fish bite like its the best day ever when the air is super charged, and ready to strike. I know for a fact, the fish going nuts on a topwater, as the storm moves in, has kept me fishing well beyond good reasoning.. Winnsboro, behind the iron bridge July 4th weekend, storm rolls in fish are killing a chug bug, can't seem to stop fishing, the bite was so good, rod starts buzzing, hair on our heads and arm starts to bristle, BOOM it hits a tree 50-60 feet from us. We spent the next 40 or so minutes under the bridge...

Fishing Bassing for Babies on Fork, mouth of Alligator, big flat on the south side, again the fish were biting virtually every cast.. My wife Kay says HEY, look at this, her line was literally rising upwards off the water, we both freaked out threw the rods down in the boat, got as low in the bottom of the boat as we could and, BOOM, another close call.. We reeled them up and hauled it over to Oak Ridge and waited it out.. These accounts are but just a couple times the same scenario has played out with the fish biting so good it was clouding good judgement... Lucky to be here, don't do that anymore.

I was on Fork back in 2005 with a friend from work.We were fishing main lake point Little Caney Carolina rig fishing with four other boats in the area.
Seen a small rain cloud on the horizon but heard no thunder.If I heard thunder I would have been off the water fast cause I DON'T like lightning. I am constantly checking the radar.Asked buddy if he wanted to go in just in case that turned into a storm, He said no didn't look like much. We put on our rain suits just in case we needed to make a run to the ramp. We were both standing on the same side of the boat six feet apart.He had just caught nice 7 lb bass and we took a picture.Then back to fishing, Him just behind passenger side and me just in front of the passenger windshield.Boom lightning hit knocked me to front of boat. Not sure if knocked me out or not but got up turned around to check on my buddy and he was gone.Was about to jump in and turn around and seen the bottom of his shoe.Ran and grabbed his leg and some how pulled him in the boat.Bent ignition key trying to hurry and get to ramp. Started boat all alarms going off,lights flashing.
Made it to the ramp got help at dock. Someone went to back my trunk in.Boat wouldn't start,tried trolling motor nada. Look down and trolling motor top was blown off.
Lightning hit my buddy's fishing rod traveled down his body out his shoe and then traveled up the power cable just under me to the trolling motor. My buddy died instantly
and 10k in damage to the boat.Took a long time to get over that.Still not 100% over it.

I was on Fork back in 2005 with a friend from work.We were fishing main lake point Little Caney Carolina rig fishing with four other boats in the area.
Seen a small rain cloud on the horizon but heard no thunder.If I heard thunder I would have been off the water fast cause I DON'T like lightning. I am constantly checking the radar.Asked buddy if he wanted to go in just in case that turned into a storm, He said no didn't look like much. We put on our rain suits just in case we needed to make a run to the ramp. We were both standing on the same side of the boat six feet apart.He had just caught nice 7 lb bass and we took a picture.Then back to fishing, Him just behind passenger side and me just in front of the passenger windshield.Boom lightning hit knocked me to front of boat. Not sure if knocked me out or not but got up turned around to check on my buddy and he was gone.Was about to jump in and turn around and seen the bottom of his shoe.Ran and grabbed his leg and some how pulled him in the boat.Bent ignition key trying to hurry and get to ramp. Started boat all alarms going off,lights flashing.
Made it to the ramp got help at dock. Someone went to back my trunk in.Boat wouldn't start,tried trolling motor nada. Look down and trolling motor top was blown off.
Lightning hit my buddy's fishing rod traveled down his body out his shoe and then traveled up the power cable just under me to the trolling motor. My buddy died instantly
and 10k in damage to the boat.Took a long time to get over that.Still not 100% over it.

I was on Fork back in 2005 with a friend from work.We were fishing main lake point Little Caney Carolina rig fishing with four other boats in the area.
Seen a small rain cloud on the horizon but heard no thunder.If I heard thunder I would have been off the water fast cause I DON'T like lightning. I am constantly checking the radar.Asked buddy if he wanted to go in just in case that turned into a storm, He said no didn't look like much. We put on our rain suits just in case we needed to make a run to the ramp. We were both standing on the same side of the boat six feet apart.He had just caught nice 7 lb bass and we took a picture.Then back to fishing, Him just behind passenger side and me just in front of the passenger windshield.Boom lightning hit knocked me to front of boat. Not sure if knocked me out or not but got up turned around to check on my buddy and he was gone.Was about to jump in and turn around and seen the bottom of his shoe.Ran and grabbed his leg and some how pulled him in the boat.Bent ignition key trying to hurry and get to ramp. Started boat all alarms going off,lights flashing.
Made it to the ramp got help at dock. Someone went to back my trunk in.Boat wouldn't start,tried trolling motor nada. Look down and trolling motor top was blown off.
Lightning hit my buddy's fishing rod traveled down his body out his shoe and then traveled up the power cable just under me to the trolling motor. My buddy died instantly
and 10k in damage to the boat.Took a long time to get over that.Still not 100% over it.

Wow, Tony's story and others are heart breaking. I have several lightning and weather related stories over the years, and just lucky to make it back with no serious injuries or worse.
I was fishing on Lake Eufaula in Oklahoma about 8 years ago, the PVA tournament. I had a gentleman in the boat with me from Texas, and for the life of me I can't remember his name and have lost his contact numbers. (That phone is at the bottom of the lake) I think his first name was Bill and if he reads this I hope he responds. The weather is horrible, we have everyone loaded in the boats and ready for take off but it's so bad we are in a delay, everyone is parked as best they can under the marina docks. After about an hour and a half delay, it's not getting any better but these guys are wanting to fish. For some of these fellas, the only time they ever get to fish is the 3-4 Paralyzed Veterens of America tournaments that they attend every year. The tournament director left it up to them, and my partner says let's go fish. So we blast off and head to our first spot. When we get there it is pouring down, I'm thinking it's horrible and there is no way my partner is going to want to hang in this. I have the best rain gear on the planet and I was miserable, but I turn around and he's in a cheap Walmart suit, chunking and winding and grinning from ear to ear. He catches a good keeper on a chatterbait and we are high fiving, and I figure if he can hang I can too. About that time I look up and I literally see the tail of a tornado dip down out of the clouds and I can see hail stones the size of softballs hitting the water about a quarter mile away. It looked like concrete blocks hitting the water. I told him to hold on, I don't have time to get you off the back deck, we are putting the boat on the bank. I fast idle us up into a little cut and to the closest tree to tie the boat off. I grab a rope and am tying to the tree and the top half of the tree breaks off and lands on the front deck. I'm talking about the top half of a big tree, at least 60' tall. So basically 30' of a big tree pile drives me face first into the carpet of the front deck. I don't know how long I laid there, trying to figure out if I was hurt or not, conscious or not, but I was there for awhile. I finally come to my senses and realize I have a paralyzed from the waist down co-angler that may or may not still be in the boat with me. I start digging myself out of the tree, and it took everything I had to work my way out and finally get stood up enough to see the back deck, expecting the absolute worst. He is still sitting there!!! Eyes as big as pancakes, not a scratch or a twig or a leaf on him. We are both asking if each other is ok, I'm checking myself out to see what's broken or cut up and I don't have anything more than a couple of minor scrapes and a sore jaw from face planting on the carpet. We finally get to laughing a little bit and he says, " You know, if you would have just kept on fishing that would have never happened!"

I remember that day, my brother and I were inside oak ridge watching it all from the big windows. They took him to the minnow bucket. We got off the water, it was bad that day..
In my opinion Fork is a Killer in an electrical storm, some lakes are known for other things like Grapevine, the Lew, Ray Hubbard, mostly drownings or boating collisions that have Fatalities.... Got caught in a hail storm on Fork in Media tournament, thought I was goner then, luckily only got hit in the head a few times...

If this was in the mid to late 90"s I was there too! I was loading my boat on the trailer when the lightning struck behind me! Thought I was a gonner! Me and my fishing buddy PK Tarpenning were fishing the west bank up against the trees and didn't see all the black clouds approaching. Suddenly our lines started sparkling and floating up! That was freaky! We quickly realed up and a started idleing away from the bank when we realized we had a storm barrleing down on us. Before we could idle out of the stumps and get on pad we were both drenched with rain. Ran right accross to the Oakridge boat ramp. As PK was pulling me off the boat ramp the lightning struck. We quicky took refruge in Oakrigde. I remember the Game Wardens, Ronnie Ward and Roger Steward telling me the story later of the recovery. Sad Deal for sure!

It was Brian, at least the one we remember....
I hope you and your family are well...