Visiting livestock agent killed by lightning strike while running for cover

Victor Moar, 53, principal of Armitage and Buckley at Armidale, was running for cover when he was hit and died at the scene, 30 kilometres south-east of Dubbo.

He had been attending the Geurie Golden Collar Cattle Dog Trial when a line of severe thunderstorms struck the racecourse on Comobella Road just after 2pm.

MAP: Where the incident occurred …

NSW Ambulance sent six crews to the area. When they arrived, two people were performing CPR but Mr Moar died at the scene, according to reports.

Data from Lightning Maps, a community-operated project, indicated 4.6 strikes were landing in-and-around Dubbo per minute at around 4pm on Saturday.

Detectives from Orana Mid-West Police District will prepare a report for the Coroner.

The tragedy comes 18 months after another man was killed in the same way at a sheep property near Mudgee.

22-year-old Cameron Cox was battling a number of small grassfires that had been sparked by lightning on the property in Moolarben, about 40 kilometres north-east of Mudgee, on Tueday, February 7.

A NSW Police spokeswoman said Mr Cox was out in the fields with another man and members of their NSW Rural Fire Service brigade, who immediately performed CPR on him.

NSW Ambulance paramedics arrived but Mr Cox could not be revived, and he died at the scene.

Both deaths occurred on days of wild weather across the state.