Video shows man struck by lightning while walking dogs

SPRING, Texas — A Texas man said he had no memory of being hit by lightning last week while walking his dogs. A video showing Alex Coreas getting knocked to the ground by the force of the bolt was a scary reminder of the power of Mother Nature.

>> Read more trending news

"I have no memory of being hit," Coreas told KTRK on Monday. "My family asked if I wanted to see it, and it was really strange looking at that happening to me."

The 27-year-old mechanic was walking his three German shepherds -- Sophie, Honey and Hazel -- in north Harris County when a thunderstorm rumbled into the area, according to KHOU.

"I saw it in the distance, and I started walking faster," Coreas told KTRK.

Coreas was hit, and surveillance video from a nearby veterinary hospital captures the harrowing scene, according to KHOU. The video shows a small bolt appear and hit the concrete just behind Coreas, KTRK reported. Coreas fell forward and was unconscious on the sidewalk. The dogs, spooked by the lightning bolt, ran off into nearby woods.

A technician from the veterinary hospital found Coreas and immediately began CPR, until he could be airlifted to an area hospital, KHOU reported.

"The first thing I remember was kind of waking up in the helicopter, and they told me I'd been hit by lightning," Coreas told KTRK. "My first question was whether my dogs were OK."

According to a GoFundMe page -- which has raised more than $24,000 by Monday afternoon -- Coreas has lost hearing in his left ear and will need surgery. He has burn marks on his chest, his thigh and his left foot. He is now able to stand and take a few steps.

According to the GoFundMe page, the dogs were diagnosed with stress colitis as a result of the lightning strike.

After watching the video, Coreas said he was impressed by the reaction of bystanders.

"There was a woman who called 911 and, along with another guy, did CPR," Coreas told KTRK. "It's crazy. They ran to me and did something, not just standing there.

"I'm lucky to be alive, and I just want to go on living my life. And I have a story to tell."

Cox Media Group