Austrian player in coma and 7 others injured as lightning strikes football field

An Austrian lower league match between FC Notsch and FC Sillian was postponed on Sunday when lightning hit the pitch shortly before kick off.

According to aargauerzeitung.ch, a heavy rain storm began soon after the teams came onto the field, at which point the coaches ordered everyone to head back indoors. But before the players had the chance to seek shelter, a crack of lightning hit the field, injuring eight players.

Two Sillian players were injured badly, with the electrical bolt leaving them motionless on the field. One was Alexander Böhm, who told an Austrian TV station that he was "touched" by the lightning, but has left intensive care and has since made a full recovery. Here's how he described the experience:

Böhm's teammate Thomas Walder, meanwhile, was the man to whom the lightning was attracted the most. He was apparently struck in the chest and had to be resuscitated by players and staff for 20 minutes until an ambulance helicopter arrived.

The 24-year-old was put into a coma at a nearby hospital and, at the time of writing, is said to be in a stable condition.

DT sends its best wishes to Walder and shakes its fist at the sky to Zeus, Thor, Raiden from Mortal Kombat and all the other Thunder God jerks.

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Ryan Bailey

is a writer for Dirty Tackle on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter! Follow @RyanJayBailey