By A 24-year-old congressional staffer is back at work after surviving a lightning strike last week, an extraordinary close call captured on a doorbell camera that ended with him walking away without serious injuries.
Thomas Fahmy, who works in the Staten Island office of Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.), was heading to a dentist appointment on the afternoon of August 27 when a storm swept through the Castleton Corners neighborhood, explained The New York Post. Fahmy was walking toward his car on Todt Avenue near Windsor Road, carrying an umbrella, when lightning struck as he stood roughly 15 to 25 feet from the vehicle.
A terrifying reminder of how quickly an ordinary day can change.pic.twitter.com/UmW96giK1S
Thomas Fahmy was simply walking to a dentist appointment when lightning struck him.
After being struck by lightning and surviving, Fahmy didn't take the moment lightly. He went to church…
— Community Notes & Violations (@CNviolations) September 2, 2026
Doorbell-camera footage shows Fahmy walking along the sidewalk beside a white picket fence before a sudden flash fills the screen and he collapses to the ground. Remarkably, Fahmy remained conscious and was back on his feet within seconds.
“Once the lightning bolt struck me, the initial sensations that I had throughout my whole body were completely unprecedented; tingling, numbness, pain, just I feel this burning sensation,” Fahmy said in interviews.
He said both feet were in severe pain and described the sensation as if he were “walking on balloons.” Fahmy never lost consciousness and later recalled worrying that lightning could strike him again.
After getting up, Fahmy staggered toward a nearby home and began calling for help. Neighbor Stephanie Homan heard him shouting “Help me, help me,” opened the door with a young child nearby, brought Fahmy inside and called 911.
Emergency responders took him to Northwell Staten Island University Hospital, where doctors monitored him overnight. Multiple examinations found no burns or major injuries, and Fahmy was discharged the following day.
Fahmy has since embraced the unlikely outcome with a sense of gratitude — and a little humor. He bought a Mega Millions lottery ticket and attended church Sunday to thank God for “another chance.”
“In politics, you kind of forget sometimes that there’s something bigger than you,” he said.
Malliotakis also celebrated her staffer’s recovery.
“We are grateful that Thomas, a member of my congressional staff, is alive and well after being struck by lightning last week,” she said. “I thank the Good Samaritan who ran to his aid and the medical staff at Staten Island University Hospital who treated him.”
Video of the strike quickly spread online, drawing millions of views. Fahmy has already returned to work and said the experience has left him with a renewed appreciation for life — a remarkably happy ending to an encounter with lightning that could have ended very differently.
