Havana, 7 September 2010 (MIA) - A Cuban farmer has survived five lightning strikes in nine years, reported Digital Cubadebate at its website.
Jorge Marquez from the village of La Julia in Las Tunas province said he was struck the first time on July 5, 1982 at the wheel of his tractor.
"I had perforated eardrums, got skin burns of the back and ripped off all tooth fillings, "he said.
Then in 1987, lightning caught him twice before a new impact next year, followed by a fifth in 1991, said Jorge Marquez, whose house was hit by lightning 15 times in two years.
"I think I am a magnet. Generally, people hit by lightning die and it looks like my body accepts this divine power, even if its effects are very bad," he said.
Transported to hospital unconscious for the first two times, Jorge Marquez was no longer fainting later, although he said he had "very sore joints and respiratory problems".
"The last two times it was lower, not because it (lightning) had fallen further, but rather because it seems my body got used to it," he said.
Jorge Marquez also said to have read recently that a U.S. forest ranger had been struck by lightning seven times.
"If it's a record, I have no desire to fight," he joked.