While playing video games in his room, a 13-year-old teenager was struck by a lightning bolt that entered the house, left a hole in the wall, passed through a metal piece of the desk, and made the boy scream, thinking he was going to die.

A 13-year-old teenager suffered an electric shock while playing video games inside the house during a storm in Texas, in a case that mobilized emergency teams and raised alerts about domestic risks.

Vladyslav “Vlad” Skuridin, 13, suffered an electric shock while playing video games in his bedroom in Cypress, Texas, United States.

The incident occurred on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, during a storm that hit the region.

According to Harris County authorities, lightning struck the residence and the current traveled through the house’s wiring.

Vlad stated that his skin was touching a metal part of the desk when he felt the shock in the abdomen area.

He was assessed by paramedics at the scene but did not need to be taken to the hospital.

In addition to hitting the teenager, the discharge caused a small fire in the attic.

The house also sustained damage to the roof and a wall, according to information provided by the family and the authorities who responded to the incident.

Teenager heard a boom before the electric shock

Vlad was playing on a computer set up in the bedroom, near Cypress View Drive and Spring Cypress Road.

In an interview with the station KPRC 2, he said he was in front of the equipment when he heard a loud boom.

“I was just sitting here, everything was going well. I was playing and didn’t expect anything,” reported the teenager.

Subsequently, Vlad said he saw an intense white light and felt the discharge through his body.

The metal part of the desk was in contact with his skin at that moment, according to the account he gave to local broadcasters.

The teenager quickly moved away from the table and began to scream.

During the interview, he stated that the situation caused fear and that, at that moment, he didn’t know what the consequences of the discharge would be.

“It was madness. Honestly, I thought I was going to die. I didn’t think I would survive that,” he declared.

In another account, given to ABC News through his mother, Vlad said that the noise made his ears hurt and that he felt dizzy and confused right after the shock.

He also mentioned feeling a tightness in his chest.

The father advised his son to lie down and called the emergency services.

Firefighters, police officers, and medical professionals were sent to the address to assess the teenager and check the damage caused by the lightning.

Lightning traveled through the house wiring in Texas

The Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office reported that the electrical current traveled through the house wiring.

During the energy’s movement through the property, a small fire started in the attic.

Cypress Creek Fire Department teams also participated in the response.

The authorities recorded damage consistent with a lightning strike, but the investigation into the incident was still ongoing when the first information was released.

The teenager’s mother, Yuliia Skuridina, told ABC News that the roof was damaged.

According to her, a gas pipe and some household appliances also had problems after the discharge.

The family also reported that insurance representatives identified signs of two discharges: one on the roof and another on a tree outside.

This version was presented by the parents to ABC13, but there was no public conclusion from the authorities about the complete path taken by the electricity.

For this reason, it is not possible to state that the tree was the first point hit.

The possibility was mentioned by the family, while the authorities confirmed that the current passed through the house’s electrical system.

Desk may have conducted the electrical current

Vlad recounted that his skin was touching a metal part of the desk at the time of the incident.

The family believes that electricity reached the teenager through this component, after traveling through the structure of the house.

The available information does not indicate that the lightning directly struck the teenager’s body.

What was confirmed by the authorities is that the discharge reached the residence, produced current in the wiring, and hit Vlad while he was using the computer.

Edgar Bering, a professor of physics and electrical engineering at the University of Houston, explained to ABC13 that objects connected to the electrical system can be subjected to high voltage when a lightning-induced current travels through the installation.

According to the expert, electricity tends to follow conductive paths until it reaches the ground.

In this path, equipment, wires, and components connected to the network can become passage points for the current.

Bering also stated that the risk is related to contact with objects connected to the electrical system.

The report, however, did not present a specific technical report on the desk or the computer used by the teenager.

Without this document, there is no public confirmation of which component conducted the discharge to the metal piece.

The relationship between the desk and the shock was described by Vlad and his family members in interviews given after the occurrence.

Teenager was attended by paramedics on site

The emergency medical service professionals examined the teenager within the property.

According to the Constable’s Office, there was no need to transport him to a hospital unit.

Hours later, Vlad reported that he still felt dizzy and was trying to understand what had happened.

Despite the mentioned symptoms, he stated that he felt fine at that moment.

The mother informed ABC News that her son had a mark on his chest after the discharge.

She also said she intended to take him to a medical consultation to check if there was any effect that had not been identified during the first examination.

No further information was released about medical exams or any eventual diagnosis.

There is also no record, in the consulted sources, that the teenager remained hospitalized or developed complications after the episode.

Commenting on the case, Vlad said he was aware of the possibility of accidents caused by lightning but did not expect to face an occurrence inside the house.

“Anything can happen at any time. You need to be prepared and be kind to people,” he told KPRC 2.

The statement was made after the emergency teams attended the scene.

The teenager did not provide additional details about the medical treatment or the recovery period.

Authorities Reinforce Precautions During Storms

After the incident, the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office advised residents to avoid wired electronics during storms.

The agency also recommended keeping a distance from electrical installations and plumbing.

The alert coincides with the recommendations of the United States National Weather Service.

The agency states that an enclosed building offers protection during storms but advises people not to touch computers, televisions, cables, or other equipment connected to the electrical network while there is lightning.

The recommendation includes avoiding contact with faucets, showers, and other components of the plumbing system.

According to the meteorological service, electricity can travel through wires, pipes, and metal surfaces connected to the exterior of the building.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also report that injuries can occur inside buildings when the discharge travels through plumbing, electrical systems, or wired devices.

The health agency’s guidance is not to touch equipment connected to the outlet during the storm.

Activities involving piped water, such as taking a shower, washing hands, or doing dishes, should also be avoided.

Electronic devices should be turned off or unplugged before the storm arrives, not during lightning occurrences.

Contact with cables and outlets at the time of instability can expose a person to electric current.

In the case recorded in Cypress, the teenager was inside the room when the lightning struck the residence.

The current traveled through the house, caused a fire in the attic, and reached the location where Vlad was using the computer, according to reports from authorities and the family.

The occurrence led local agencies to reinforce precautions with equipment connected to the electrical network during storms.