LIGHTNING STRIKE

Explicit content warning

08/09/21 • 60 min

We're joined by Dr Bob Kilroy, a chiropractor who was teaching his daughter to surf one Sunday at Venice Beach when the unthinkable happened. On an otherwise clear day a cloud appeared & started a light drizzle with a single lightning strike that hit the waters of Venice Beach, right next to Bob! Struck by literally a million volts in the equivalent of a bathtubs distance, Bob goes into cardiac arrest & inhales some seawater. His daughter, who was knocked off of her surfboard but spared from serious electrocution, pulls him to safety where lifeguards and an ER Cardiologist who happened to be at the beach pull him out and begin CPR. Then our own Danny shows up after what he described as "a bomb going off" followed by a call for an electrocution, upgraded en route to a lightning strike, then to a full cardiac arrest. The lifeguards regain a pulse, then they're off to UCLA ER with Danny pulling off a risky intubation en route. Dr Kilroy makes a full recovery & he and Danny have a unique discussion as Danny is able to fill in the blanks for the 24 hours where the Dr was in a coma. We also talk about the incredible lesson Dr Kilroy took away from this experience as well as how crazy Venice Beach is on a Sunday, what a spinal adjustment is like, how to become a chiropractor, why both hosts like to see a chiro, how the nervous system responds to a lightning strike, what the recovery is like, & also HOLY CRAP THIS DUDE WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING AND LIVED & sat with us & showed us the tattoo he got to remember it. Dr Kilroy is super cool, & also has a great broacasting voice, kinda Bill Walton ish. This episode also has footage from the actual event as well as a shout out to Body Glove.

Previous Episode

Active Threat With The POTUS

We're joined by Santa Monica FD Training Chief James Altman. Who recounts a day he'll never forget as a HazMat Captain, working on a special security detail for President Obama's visit in 2013. Just 6 minutes after the motorcade passes thru a quiet Santa Monica, California neighborhood, they get a call for shots fired and a shooting victim over the radio, followed by a call for a structure fire in the same neighborhood. What follows is the aftermath of an active shooter rampaging thru the city while the president is in town, resulting in 5 separate crime scenes! These included a house fire, carjacking, bus attack, and a mass shooting attempt at Santa Monica College before being neutralized by police in the library. This is an incredible story of bravery but also of leadership and candid honesty regarding operations in situations you are not really prepared for. What happens when your department's resources are completely tapped out with 5 major simultaneous incidents with the President a couple of miles away. What does the Secret Service do? How do you deal with guys who refuse to go into an unsafe scene, or with police who refuse to stay back and protect the FD? How have policies changed since this incident? James also knew us as kids and gives a great interview that starts with old Westside memories & ends with a real insightful look at leadership in Fire service & what it really means, especially when things get wild. We also talk about what it means to really be ready for anything.

Next Episode

Good Samaritan's Nightmare

Kevin Green was a rookie firefighter with the LAFD who was off duty one night out on a date when he witnessed a car crash on the freeway late at night. After pulling his truck over to help, a drunk driver crashed into the disabled vehicle, knocking it into Kevin & crushing his leg against his own truck. What happens after is a story of survival, recovery, & the importance of the fire family as Kevin frees himself from the wreckage, helps the original victim, then treats his own shattered leg. Once en route to the trauma center the firefighters treating Kevin notify his station as well as his previous department, the Compton FD. Members from both departments meet Kevin at the hospital with his family, and stay with him every step of the way. We talk about the multiple surgeries and attempted surgeries Kevin endured, as well as not knowing if he would lose his leg. He describes hearing conversations while he was supposed to be completely unconscious but was only paralyzed. We also talk about the long road to recovery that saw Kevin miraculously return to work in a year. We talk about martial arts, discipline, growing up in Compton, filming a reality show as a rookie fireman, Compton FD stories, LAFD vs CFD drill towers, fat guys with Black Belts, Serra HS career day, Ernie Reyes, & we get a mention for one of Ben's MAC trauma centers, Harbor UCLA. Kevin is an awesome guy & his positive outlook on life is infectious as are his stories about growing up as a karate kid in Compton. This episode stands strong.