Storm chaser survives lightning bolt that strikes just feet away from him and his son

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Denny Murphy and his son Derrick were filming dark clouds gathering near their home in Iowa when a lightning strike knocked them off their feet
Denny was hospitalized and at risk of kidney failure but has since recovered

Published: 00:19 EST, 4 September 2014 | Updated: 00:54 EST, 4 September 2014

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An Iowa man who was chasing a storm with his son on Sunday survived a lightning strike that knocked him to the ground. .

Denny Murphy and his son Derrick had been taking video and photographs of a severe lightning storm that materialized suddenly near Denison, Iowa.

Lightning struck within 20 feet of the pair, knocking Derrick against their car while Denny was thrown to the ground, where he lay 'mostly paralyzed', according to the son.

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This image shows the scene just outside of Denison, Iowa, shortly before, as recorded by Derrick Murphy

A few seconds later a series lightning bolts strike in quick succession, one of which knocks Denny and Derrick Murphy off their feet

'The only thing I can remember is the hairs on the back of my neck standing up', Derrick said. 'I blacked out for about two seconds. I woke up after being thrown four feet into the car... My dad was laying on the ground. He wasn't moving and couldn't speak. His eyes were glazed over.'

Denny was hospitalized and experiencing searing pain that prevented him from sleeping for several days but is doing better now, his son said. He continues to feel pain in his left arm.

'He's able to sleep now,' Derrick said.

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The big risk after a lightning strike, he said, is kidney failure. The lightning injures the muscles and creates a toxin that goes into the kidneys, potentially causing them to fail, he said.

The odds of being struck by lightning are 1 in 700,000, according to National Geographic.

The spark from a lightning bolt can reach over five miles in length, raise the temperature in the air by as much as 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit and contain a hundred million electrical volts.

Just under 3,700 people in the US died 1959 to 2003.