The death of 9-year-old Jordan Banks, who was struck by lightning while playing football, was "an extremely rare occurrence", an inquest has heard.
Jordan was tragically killed by a lightning strike as he took part in a football coaching session in Blackpool on May 11.
An inquest hearing at Blackpool Town Hall today heard how the young footballer fell to the floor when the weather changed "very quickly" during the training session.
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Coroner Alan Wilson said: “This was an extremely rare occurrence. Although the weather had changed, it had changed very quickly and there appears to be no obvious reason why Jordan was struck by lightning.”
The inquest heard Jordan’s stepfather, Daniel Begg, had been in his car watching Jordan training on the pitch when lightning struck shortly before 5pm.
“He sadly reports he saw lightning hit Jordan and he fell to the ground straight away," Mr Wilson told the hearing.
Football coach Daniel Stenton, who was taking the session with Jordan, said in a witness statement they had decided to finish the training session when thunder started.
He said: “All of a sudden I felt something. I can’t begin to explain it but it made me put my hands on my head.”
Another witness, Emma Gleeson, said she was waiting to take her son to a training session when she saw a flash of lightning hit Jordan.
Ms Gleeson, who rang an ambulance, said in a statement that she saw Jordan fall to the floor and Mr Begg run over to him.
“Daniel clearly was thinking the same thing I was thinking and was saying: ‘He’s gone, he’s gone’," Ms Gleeson said.
The inquest also heard a statement from paramedic Sharon Riley-Clarke, who said she and her colleague were called to the scene shortly after they witnessed a “loud and violent” sudden lightning strike nearby.
She said when they arrived at 5.01pm she saw Mr Begg crouched over Jordan in the field and he shouted to them: “He’s not breathing.”
“He picked him up in his arms and was running to us," she said.
The coroner’s court heard Jordan arrived at Blackpool Victoria Hospital at about 5.30pm but was pronounced dead at 5.55pm.
Consultant paediatrician Dr Kate Goldberg said the death was due to cardiac arrest following a direct lightning strike.
Mr Wilson said: “All evidence indicates that once Jordan had been struck by lightning this was effectively going to be unsurvivable.”
Jordan's family did not attend the inquest hearing but they were praised by Mr Wilson for their their “dignity and courage” in choosing to donate their son’s organs.
Mr Wilson, who recorded a short narrative conclusion, said he planned to write to the Government’s department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and bring the matter to its attention.
He said: “If a reminder about the risk lightning can pose is circulated and this somehow minimises the risk that this could occur again then that would be positive and avoid another family having to go through this sort of tragedy.”
Footballers and MPs were among those who paid tribute to Jordan following his death, with the Liverpool team wearing shirts with his name on to warm up for a match against Manchester United.
In a statement released by Lancashire Police after his death, Jordan’s family said: “We lost the brightest star our beautiful boy Jordan.
“His laugh, that infectious smile, golden curls, he was our everything.”
