What began as an ordinary outing for a group of Florida fishermen suddenly took a troubling turn when St. Elmo's fire appeared on their boat 50 miles from shore.
Here's what to know
In a video shared by Fox 13 Tampa Bay, a reporter explained that static from a fast-moving storm began producing St. Elmo's fire on the vessel — turning, in its words, "A routine boat inspection turned into a high-speed escape."
@fox13tampabay A routine boat inspection turned into a high-speed escape when static electricity from a fast-moving storm began generating St. Elmo's fire on a vessel 50 miles off Bradenton. LINK IN BIO 🔗 ⠀ #news #florida #fox13news #boating ♬ original sound - FOX 13 News Tampa Bay
The group had ventured into the waters off the coast of Bradenton, Florida, as a test drive for friends considering purchasing the boat.
However, once they were out on the water, the weather began to shift, according to Fox 13.
"They thought that they were far enough away from a storm to avoid any ill effects," the reporter said in the video. "Well, they weren't."
According to Fox 13, the phenomenon known as St. Elmo's fire occurs when atmospheric electrical charges become imbalanced. In this electrical field, faint plasma, clicking sounds, and static can form around objects.
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The resulting glow "could be a precursor to a very dangerous situation where lightning could hit," Fox 13 said.
"That's your warning to get moving lol," said one commenter.
"Seen it many times at the lake with our metal boat lift," chimed in another.
"This happened to me while I was on top of a mountain," added a third.
Thankfully, the group of boaters got back to shore before any lightning struck, Fox 13 reported.
When lightning strikes a boat, it can be more than a safety risk, as one commenter pointed out.
"Lightning strikes a ton of boats," they said. "It wipes out all the electrical which is very expensive and a year later people will still find problems with systems."
Where can I learn more?
St. Elmo's fire is just one of several unusual weather phenomena tied to dangerous storms and their aftermath. These articles look at rare lightning displays, storm damage in Florida, and other surprising scenes on the water.
• In Florida, scientists captured glowing treetops on film during a thunderstorm for the first time.
• Near Oregon wind turbines, lightning appearing to burst upward turned an eerie storm into a spectacle.
• In Groveland, a Florida lightning strike triggered a boil notice for 3,500 homes.
• Experts said warmer seas are throwing fuel on the fire as hurricanes intensify.
• Along Lake Erie, a rare water-level drop showed how powerful weather can reshape shorelines.
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