A Texas man struck by lightning while riding his dirt bike in Colorado woke up a few minutes later lucky to be alive.

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Jason Crawford of Houston told the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel he has no memory of anything after the strike until about a half hour later. He and his brother John were on their bikes when he felt something strike his helmet.

Doctors at the Gunnison Valley Hospital told him the helmet saved his life, he said.

Crawford suffered a fractured skull and other injuries, including partial hearing loss.

When he regained consciousness, almost the first thing he asked his brother was whether he still had the gold chain and crucifix his mother had given him. He found the chain had burned into his skin before crumbling.