Struck by Lightning, Hit by Luck

The odds of being struck by lightning are one in a million. In fact, you’re more likely to win a sports bet if you’ve got some solid tips. Surprising, right? However, getting struck by lightning isn’t exactly the most fun experience, which is why people don’t talk about it as much as they do about winning the lottery. When it comes to the lottery, things get more complicated as the odds vary from one lottery to another, depending on the number of participants and other factors. But if we’re talking specifics, like the “Atlantic Lotto 6/49” in Canada, the numbers become clearer.

One in 13,983,816 

One reason many of us don’t know our actual chances when playing our favorite lottery is that it might feel discouraging. However, statisticians, who live for this sort of thing, can tell us exactly what our odds are.

And since we’re naturally curious, we dug a little deeper and found out that the chances of being struck by lightning and winning the lottery are 1 in 2.6 trillion.

But what do we do with that information? We can’t just wrap up the story with two random facts, right?

Enter Peter McCathie, a true survivor from Canada. At the age of 14, he was struck by lightning, enduring over 10 million volts of electricity—an amount that typically causes instant death. Despite the near-zero chance of survival, Peter escaped almost unscathed, avoiding a heart attack, burns, or any disruption to his blood circulation.

The 1 in 2.6 trillion odds are based on combining the chances of winning the lottery, being struck by lightning, and one other detail that might surprise you: Peter’s daughter was also struck by lightning.

Sophie Leger, a math professor at the University of Moncton, kindly worked out the equation to determine these nearly impossible odds. However, it's worth noting that the exact number of lottery tickets Peter bought before his win is unknown.

She remarked, "It seemed almost impossible, but it happened." It just goes to show that life is full of surprises, and anything can happen.

And indeed, something extraordinary did happen. Peter McCathie won a $1 million prize in the Atlantic Lotto 6/49, along with his co-worker Diana Miller. On top of that, he received an extra $10,000 since he owns the Amherst Shore Country Store in Nova Scotia, where they bought the winning ticket for just $3.

Nothing is Impossible

At first glance, there seems to be no connection between getting struck by lightning and winning the lottery. Both events are highly improbable. Moreover, being struck by lightning is likely the unluckiest thing that could happen, while winning the lottery is often seen as the ultimate stroke of good fortune. However, as Peter’s story shows, there’s always a chance to win big at the lottery and survive a lightning strike.

Decision and Perseverance

Without the decision to keep playing, Peter would have remained just an ordinary man. But he won because he chose to buy one more ticket, despite the fear of losing. The lightning strikes that both he and his daughter experienced are often seen in popular culture as a curse, but in his case, it was more of a blessing.

Peter created his own destiny. He persevered through the challenges and made decisions based on the present, not on his past experiences. He proved that nothing in life is predictable, that he wouldn’t go down in history as just an average person, and he bet on the magic of life: you never know what’s going to happen.

And in the end, if it wasn’t obvious, here’s our takeaway: believe, play, and persevere, but don’t run through a storm with a metal pot on your head. Instead, take advantage of our dozens of offers, bonuses, sports bets, and tips, and start your journey toward an unknown full of luck.