Claims extracted
17
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
18%
3 of 17 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
68/100
Daily Mail's corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Science
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
A group of Florida fishermen were literally shocked while riding a boat 50 miles offshore when a dangerous St. Elmo's fire started glowing on their vessel.
asserted
fire → shock → vessel
Scott Gilligan and four fellow fishermen sailed 50 miles off the coast of Bradenton, keeping over 20 miles between themselves and an approaching storm.
However, 30 minutes into the trip, mysterious clicking sounds were heard through the boat as a blue plasma glow started to form around the white Halo 28 vessel.
asserted
glow → sail → vessel
The plasma forming was due to a phenomenon called St. Elmo's fire - which is a weather event involving a gap in electrical charge that makes any pointed object in its field glow blue and start to buzz or hiss.
asserted
object → form → field
The electricity running through the air creates plasma, or ionized air that emits a visible glow in the atmosphere.
asserted
that → run → atmosphere
While this glowing effect is completely harmless, it was a clear indication of a dangerous lightning storm brewing nearby.
St Elmo's fires are named after the patron saint of sailors, because people at sea have historically viewed the phenomenon as a good omen to warn them of impending bad weather.
asserted
people → glow → weather
Gilligan stated that an unexpected electrical shock startled one of the members of the crew as they attempted to get a fishing rod from its holder.
asserted
they → state → holder
The men were literally shocked by a rod while riding a boat 50 miles offshore, which urged them to turn around and rush to safety.
asserted
which → shock → safety
The blue glow from the St Elmo's fire can be seen here casing the boat
The plasma forming was due to a phenomenon called St. Elmo's fire.
asserted
forming → see → phenomenon
It can be explained as a weather phenomenon involving a gap in electrical charge
The friend said, ‘What in the world?’ according to Fox 13.
uncertain
friend → explain → Fox
The group was concerned about the speed of the storm, and they were terrified that lightning could hit them at any moment.
uncertain
lightning → concern → moment
They decided to speed 30 mph back to shore.
asserted
They → decide → shore
‘We all kind of just started looking around, and then you start hearing more ticking, and just every little piece of metal on a boat just started ticking.
asserted
piece → start → boat
'Ticking, ticking, and then you look up, and you could see the little blue arcs going between the metal, between, like, the rod holder and the frames,' Gilligan said.
uncertain
Gilligan → tick → holder
‘We were like, “This is way too dangerous,” and didn't realize even until I got back now, you know, last night, when I looked it up online, how bad it really was,’ said Gilligan.
asserted
Gilligan → realize → it
Gilligan posted his experience to his Instagram page, and the video garnered over six million views.
asserted
video → post → views
Many viewers laughed at the crew's reaction to the ordeal, making light of the situation.
One user commented: ‘The survival instinct of golden retrievers.’
Another user commented: ‘Time to goooooo.’
‘You guys were about to teleport to 1940,' said another user.
asserted
user → laugh → 1940
In order to survive a St. Elmo's scare, it's important to stay indoors and seek shelter whenever a blue plasma-like cast appears during a storm.
asserted
cast → survive → storm
The Aporia
