INDUSTRY (KDKA) — A Beaver County man says he was struck by lightning.

Keith Bowler says he was on a Boy Scout camping trip in Industry. While sitting on the ground on Saturday, he saw a flash and heard an explosion.

“Then I just kind of went black for a minute,” he told KDKA-TV’s Stephanie Watson.

Bowler says a flash of light pierced his thigh, traveled through his body and exited through his backside. He suffered third-degree burns.

“A little discomforting, but more tingling at the time,” he recalled. “My buddy kept saying he smelled something burning.”

With friends and paramedics standing over him, reality set in for Bowler.

“I knew I was going to be okay, but it was one of those situations where you just don’t know until afterwards, so it was close,” he said. “Thank God for good friends.”

His friends now have new nicknames for him.

“I get a lot of names – Thunder Butt, Rod – I’m still hearing more coming,” laughed Bowler. “I can’t repeat all of them.”

Bowler says he couldn’t have planned a better mock drill on emergency preparedness for the Boy Scout Adventure Post 488.

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