A freak indirect lightning strike late Sunday afternoon off State Hwy. 147 in Angelina County has left a Zavalla boy recovering from injuries.

Angelina County officials say 14-year old Nicholas Mitchell was weaned off a ventilator Monday, and has double pneumonia with fluid on his lungs in a Houston hospital.

It’s reported Mitchell and another boy were on national forest land scouting sites to hunt, when Mitchell climbed in a metal deer stand which was leaned against a tree, with lightning struck the tree and he was blown out of the stand and knocked unconscious.

The other boy felt the jolt, but was able to recover and ran for help. Officials say it took some time for responders to reach Mitchell because the boy had a tough time re-tracing his steps.

In an unrelated incident yesterday, a man received a shock while helping to dismantle a drilling rig site near Jasper. The incident occurred west of Jasper around 11 a.m. The worked was partially unconscious when lighting struck the boom of a nearby crane. The unidentified man is reported to be OK.