Klamath Falls man James Palazzolo Sr. recovers at OHSU in Portland after surviving a lighting strike while on the job. (Photo: Facebook / Lightning Strike Survivor)

James Palazzolo Sr. walks for the first time after being struck by lightning.

A Klamath Falls man is recovering at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, Oregon after being struck by lightning in Macdoel, California while on the job last Wednesday. James Palazzolo Sr. is a 24-year veteran as an electrician, husband, father of four and grandfather of six, got the shock of his life when he was struck by lightning while at work.

The Accident

It was just another Wednesday at work for James. About 9 o’clock in the morning James was finishing an install at a home in Macdoel, California. An install that he was not able to fully complete the evening before.

The tree that was struck by lighting before arching into James Palazzolo Sr.

James climbed into the bucket of his work truck and lifted into the air, when the unthinkable happened. A bolt of lightning struck the tree next to him, arching across into the back of his head, out his left shoulder and grounding into the bucket truck.

James collapsed into the bucket of his Quality Electric work truck. His apprentice, Chris Hand watched the entire accident unfold. Chris was able to think quickly, securing the bucket and calling 911 for help.

First responders arrived quickly, upon seeing James, they immediately called in for air transport to Sky Lakes Medical Center. It was about this time when wife, Deana Palazzolo received a phone call about the accident.

“I thought he was dead.” said Deana Palazzolo. “If he wasn’t he was going to be, people don’t live from that.”

James was stabilized at Sky Lakes intubated and placed into a medically induced coma before being flown by Air Link to OHSU, where he is being treated and starting recovery.

Arrival and Assessment at OHSU

After arriving at OHSU, the medical team admitted James into the Intensive Care Unit. Their assessment found that James has suffered; trauma to his brain, severe burns to the inside of his ears, potentially ruptured ear drums, potentially broken ear bones, and second & third degree burns to his head, neck and shoulder.

“The first night was rough,” says Deana. “They tried to take him out of the coma and he immediately tried to pull the respirator out. They tried three times and each time he [James] tried to pull out the tubes. The next morning, they slowly pulled him out of the coma and he was fine. He was unintubated within 24 hours of the accident,” she continues.

“He doesn’t remember the accident, but he remembers what he was doing. He has even asked, who finished the service, I’m sure I blew up the service when I was electrocuted,” says Deana. “He knows that he was hit by lightning.”

Recovery

The next day James showed great recovery and was downgraded from the ICU to the Trauma Unit at OHSU. The TU can focus their energies on his injuries and rather than his stabilization and survival.

“Things are progressing quickly,” says Deana. “The doctors are impressed with his recovery.”

“He is very cognitive. They did some tests yesterday and I do not know if I would have gotten the questions right and he did.” says wife Deana. “He recognizes everybody, he knows who everyone is. He knows their role in the family. He did not lose any of that.”

“James says he can hear dogs barking but obviously there are no dogs in the hospital. However, the doctors and nurses say that is a good thing,” says Deana. “He does get dizzy and nauseous and that is related to the damage of his ears.”

Deana reports that James has slept up to 6 hours through the night but still battles hallucinations and delusions. When resting, James often tinkers with his hands as if he is at work. When he wakes up, James is confused about where he is and thinks he should be at work.

However, James is aware of the delusions. When he wakes, he often asks if he was dreaming about working, he is aware. According to the doctors, patients in this situation often are not able to separate the delusions from reality.

As of this morning, James still cannot hear due to the damage of his ears. It is currently unknown if the damage will be permanent or temporary due to the burns and swelling of his ears.

James has been able to get up and walk a few times. He even was able to step outside for some fresh air. In a video posted to Lightning Strike Survivor, a Facebook page created to show the journey of James’ ordeal, (more below) “He is off and running. I don’t know where the zippiness came from, but I can’t keep up with him.”

Throughout this ordeal, James has had great spirits, joking around, and even giving the nurses a hard time.

The family is feeling optimistic about James’ recovery but knows uncertainty is real. “Part of me wants to believe that James will be ok in a week, and the other part of me just don’t know,” says Deana. “95% of me says he is going to walk out of here James and there is that 5% that hits me when I am by myself. When I’m like, I don’t know if I can care for him. He is the majority of our income, he has always been the provider. He is my rock, people can turn and cry to their spouse, and mine is there [points to the hospital bed]. I can’t even cry to him, so that has been hard.”

Deana continues, “We are best friends. Our whole family we always do stuff together. Family day every Sunday, we do trips and things, [points to James in bed again] that’s the center of our circle. That is what panics me.”

Lighting Storm

The bolt of lighting that struck James was the first known strike in the area related to Wednesday’s storm. There had been no lighting earlier in the morning before the strike that hit James. There were reports of scattered afternoon thunderstorms but there were no signs of lighting in the morning to have raised concerns of doing the electrical work that James was performing that morning.

Later that same afternoon, the storm grew and rocked parts of the basin as it rolled through. Dumping rain, flashing lighting and rumbling with thunder until the early hours of Thursday morning.

Deana Palazzolo lays with her husband James in his hospital bed at Oregon Health Siciences University.

How You Can Help

With this having been an on the job injury, Palazzolo’s medical expenses, air ambulance, recovery, etc. will most likely be covered by his workers compensation insurance through his employer. However, the family has been hit hard, as Deana has been unable to work since the accident and does not anticipate returning to work anytime soon. The household bills continue to come in, and the expenses of travel to and from Portland are beginning to take a toll on the Palazzolo Family.

An account in Palazzolo’s Name has been established at Pacific Crest Federal Credit Union. Anyone can help the family by deposit and donate to the Palazzolo Family. This can be done by stopping in or calling any branch of Pacific Crest. Visit www.mypcfcu.org to find a branch near you.

If you wish to follow along the journey, the Palazzolo Family has established a Facebook Page, Lighting Strike Survivor. The family asks you to follow along with James’s recovery, watch videos of his progress and see behind the scenes photos from the hospital.

They do ask that only close friends and family to contact them personally. All other contact should be made to the Lighting Strick Survivor Facebook Page.

When asked is there anything you would like to say or that you would like anyone to know, Deana said, “Prayers so far are working so we just need to keep doing that. We just need to keep praying for him because I believe that the prayers we have received is how we have progressed to where we are. He should not be where he is already.”

The Long Road Ahead

Recovery will be a long road for the Palazzolo’s there are many unanswered questions that only time will answer – will James recover to where he can go back to his career? How long will recovery take? Is there permanent damage? Will James ever the be same as before the strike? Etc.

We at Klamath Falls News will follow along the journey and will update on the journey of James and Deana Palazzolo as we can.

Photos and videos used by permission from the Palazzolo Family, https://www.facebook.com/Lightning-Strike-Survivor-1972680949662616/

More Photos

Editors Note:
Klamath Falls News Publisher and author of this article Brian Gailey is a cousin of the Palazzolo Family. Gailey traveled to OHSU in Portland to be with the family for a short time and to tell the story of the survivor, James Palazzolo.

We here at Klamath Falls News wish and hope for a speedy recovery for James Palazzolo and his family. Our hearts are with you during this difficult time.