Most fatal lightning strikes kill people doing this routine activity

There’s danger out on the water.

Already this spring, two Americans have been struck and killed by lightning, both while fishing from a boat. It’s a surprisingly dangerous activity:

“Fishing leads to more lightning deaths in the U.S. than any other activity,” said lightning safety expert John Jensenius of the National Lightning Safety Council. Since 2006, there have been a total of 44 lightning deaths linked to fishing, he said.

Just this week, April 22, a man was killed in Rankin County, Mississippi, while fishing from a boat on a reservoir. And last week, a man near Jacksonville, North Carolina, was struck by lightning, also while fishing from a boat. He later died as a result of the incident.

Why is fishing so dangerous?

Fishing is dangerous during a lightning storm “in part, because it often requires extra time to get to a safe place,” Jensenius said. “It’s vitally important for anyone who is fishing, especially from a boat, to closely monitor weather conditions and head to safety at the first signs of a developing or approaching storm.”

Of those 44 people killed by lightning while fishing, 41 were men. That’s not unusual: On average, some 80% of lightning fatalities are men.

Lightning used to kill a lot more people

Lightning deaths in the United States are dramatically lower than they were decades ago.

How dramatic? Eighty-two years ago, in 1943, 432 people died after being struck by lightning. And that wasn’t unusual for the 1940s, when several hundred people were typically killed each year, according to the National Weather Service.

As recently as 2001, when a national lightning safety campaign began, the U.S. still averaged 55 lightning deaths a year. Now the average is down to 21, said Jensenius.

More: Don’t listen to this common thunderstorm safety advice

Lightning safety tips when fishing

Here are some tips for fishing if lightning threatens:

∎ Before going fishing or out on the water in a boat, always check the weather and consider postponing the outing if thunderstorms are forecast.∎ If you do go out, if possible, monitor radar or lightning data on your phone.∎ Listen for distant thunder. Keep a watchful eye on the sky. Be aware that the sound of the motor may make it difficult to hear thunder.∎ Be ready to get to safety immediately at the first sign of an approaching or developing storm. Always account for the amount of time it will take to get to shore and to a safe place.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lightning strike deaths occur most often during this activity