Depending on sources, anywhere from 5 to 30 percent of people who are hit by lightning die from their injuries. The danger is not so much from burns but rather from the electrical energy stopping a person’s heart. This is why CPR usually is necessary when someone is struck unconscious by lightning. More often, people who have been thus injured will be in severe pain and will be screaming as a result. While they of course will need medical attention, their prognosis for survival is much better than that of the unconscious person.