Nebraska rodeo athlete and horse die after being struck by lightning

Deadly lightning strikes in the US are unusual. Vineyard was the sixth person to be killed this year. Photograph: mdesigner125/Getty Images/iStockphoto

A Nebraska rodeo athlete and his horse both died after being struck by lightning last month in an exceedingly rare worst case scenario that came to pass.

Terrel Vineyard, 27, was on his horse, Shorty, and checking on cattle in Oshkosh, Nebraska, on the afternoon of 21 June when he and the animal were hit by lightning, according to the Lighting Safety Council.