A GOP congressional staffer had a rather shocking experience last week as he made his way to a dentist appointment on Staten Island, New York – and it was all caught on video. And thankfully so because, most importantly, he's perfectly fine, but also because you have to see it to believe it.
His name is Thomas Fahmy and he works for Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) in her Staten Island office. It was storming last Thursday as he left his house for that dentist appointment, so he grabbed an umbrella and made his way to his car on Todt Avenue.
A neighbor's doorbell camera captured what happened next.
Fahmy can be seen walking down the sidewalk and passing a large tree when a huge lightning bolt hits him, knocking him to the ground. He lays there for a few seconds before getting up and staggering to the neighbor's house for help.
Amazingly, Fahmy didn't suffer any burns at all and walked away from the experience mostly unscathed.
Dramatic video shows a man struck by lightning on Staten Island during severe storms. Thomas Fahmy, the man struck, says he bought a Mega Millions lottery ticket on Saturday and went to church on Sunday to say "thank you, God, " after walking away with no burns at all from the… pic.twitter.com/oeK0lw6TW0
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) September 1, 2026
Dramatic video shows a man struck by lightning on Staten Island during severe storms. Thomas Fahmy, the man struck, says he bought a Mega Millions lottery ticket on Saturday and went to church on Sunday to say "thank you, God, " after walking away with no burns at all from the incident.
The video is now going viral on social media and Fahmy is getting the chance to explain what it was like to get struck by lightning and how it feels to have survived such a rare and serious event like a lightning strike.
“I was nearly 15, 20 feet away from my car when I was struck by lightning,” Fahmy recalled. “It was a very intense burning sensation, tingling, numbness, pain. Severe pain in both of my feet,” he said of his near-death experience.
He didn't lose consciousness, so he was able to scream for help – neighbor Stefanie Homan was luckily home at the time and heard him. “I heard yelling, heard ‘help me, help me,’ so I ran to my door and saw him down here on the ground, so I got the phone and called 911,” she remembered.
Fahmy was rushed to Northwell Staten Island University Hospital, where he spent the night only to be discharged the next day after no burns or serious injuries were found on him.
“No burns. I had multiple body exams, no burns at all,” he told local media. “I went on church Sunday to say thank you God.”
Feeling lucky to have survived, Fahmy even decided to purchase a Mega Millions lottery ticket on Saturday.
Rep. Malliotakis was relieved her staffer was able to walk away from the ordeal and thanked the Good Samaritan who came to his rescue.
We are happy, grateful and relieved that Thomas, a valued member of our Staten Island office, is alive and well after being struck by lightning last week. We appreciate the good samaritan and medical staff at Staten Island University Hospital who helped him get emergency care. pic.twitter.com/UtZq9qH0Rr
— Rep. Nicole Malliotakis Office (@RepNicole) September 1, 2026
Fahmy now has a new lease on life, saying, “Just to appreciate life, smile and breathe fresh airs once in a while and don’t let life overwhelm you."
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