The saying lightning never strikes the same place twice apparently does not apply in Alexander Mandón’s case. The 20-year-old Colombian has been struck by lightning four times since September. So to “cure” his electrical attraction, a local indigenous doctor recommended that Mandón be buried alive in an upright position, Spanish-language publication “Noticias Uno” reports.
Burying Mandón allows the surrounding dirt to absorb any inappropriate electrical charges in his body, according to the indigenous healer. The first attempt was unsuccessful, since Mandón was not positioned the correct way. So, residents of Mandón’s native town Sampués, a community more than 300 miles north of Bogotá, tried again. In a video of the burial, several people work to cover Mandón in dirt. Ultimately, the group entombs Mandón’s entire body, except for his head.
Mandón’s faulty “electrical charge” has been a heavy burden on the 20-year-old. He was struck by lightning for the third time while serving in the Colombian military. His commander became concerned about the risk and discharged Mandón, “Colombia Reports” notes. However, the lightning strikes did not stop there. Following his return home to Sampués in northern Colombia, Mandón was struck by a bolt, yet again, outside a cantina where he once worked. Mandón’s fourth lightning strike left him trembling and struggling to walk, leading Mandón to seek out the traditional medicine doctor.
While it would be difficult to determine whether the treatment worked, Mandón plans to stay inside for the foreseeable future.
Lightning strikes, which can contain as many as 100 million electrical volts, can cause cardiac arrest or serious injury, including severe burns and brain damage, National Geographic reports. Though the electrical discharges do kill (in 10 percent of cases), surviving a strike remains more likely.
In 2011, South Carolina resident Melvin Roberts survived his sixth lightning strike.
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