Tragedy in France: lightning strikes a football pitch and the consequences are dramatic

Meteorological tragedy

Much of France has been on yellow weather alert with thunderstorms having claimed a victim. It happened at the Gabriel Péri stadium in the town of Courrières (Pas-de-Calais) in northern France, where an amateur team was in training when lightning struck the pitch.

Lethal impact

One of the players, 31-year-old Jordan Denneulin, was severely hit and died on the spot, while several of his teammates on the pitch suffered injuries to varying degrees, as reported by RTL. The emergency services' intervened rapidly and tried to resuscitate the victim, but nothing could be done anymore, as confirmed by the Courrières prefecture.

Foto: Unsplash - Abigail Keenan

Everything happened very quickly

The two brothers of the deceased, Luka and Théo, told RTL that everything happened very quickly, and they did not have time to react.

Foto: Unsplash - Jean François Jouet

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They were going to stop training

"Nobody expected it. We heard the first flash and the coach told us we weren't going to take any risks, that we'd make one last play and stop". Seconds later, the lightning struck his teammate.

The lightning bolt went through him

Club coach Jean-Pierre told BFMTV that he saw the whole scene happening. "He started running in all directions. There was smoke on the ground. The lightning went from his feet to his head. I saw the whole thing."

They could not resuscitate him

It was the coach who attempted to attend to Jordan Denneulin, with the help of the emergency services on the phone, as they made their way to the scene of the accident.

"He had no pulse. It's horrible."

"They told me to put him on his back. Christophe (another trainer) gave him a cardiac massage and then the fire brigade arrived," but they could not save him. "He had no pulse. It's horrible. He was like a son to me."

29 people on the pitch

Denneulin was not the only victim. There were 29 people on the pitch, six of whom were injured. Two of them, suffering from chest pains, were taken to a hospital in Lens, while four others were treated on the pitch itself, according to 'La Voix Du Nord'.

Married father of one

Denneulin was not only a player but also the coach of the club's U-13 team. He leaves behind a wife, Jessica, and a son, Vincenzo, as his father, Frédéric, confirmed to BFMTV.

"Football has lost one of its own"

Denneulin's former team, AAR Dourges Football, bid farewell to the player on social media. "Football has lost one of its own, a passionate man...". May he rest in peace.

Photo: Facebook - AAA Dourges

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