The recoil stroke is a type of discharge that can cause the death of a person or animal even though it is far away from the lightning strike zone. This occurs because when a thunderstorm cloud is at a certain distance from a living being, it influences the electricity in his body, attracting that of opposite potential and rejecting that of the same potential.

When the spark occurs, this difference of potential is interrupted and, consequently, the electrical influence of the cloud on the living being ceases, that when recovering its neutral state, suffers a small internal discharge that causes death.