Witnessd two lightning strikes involving techies and one involving a cargo loader over my fifty plus years. Trust me, a ground wire will dissapate a static charge but could never handle a lightning strike. I was walking toward an L-1049 when it was struck on the center fin. The ground wire, hooked to the nose gear evaporated. The main charge went down th e LMLG into a storm sewer A mechanic, closing the side accessory panels on nor. 1 engine had blue sparks reaching out to him. I ran toward his metal A-frame ladder expecting to see him fall off but instead he turned away from the engine and facing outwards, descended the ladder on his heels like a zombie. He reached the ramp and collapsed. Fortunely he was breathing and recovered after a few days in hospital.
Years later was standing by a DC8-51 with a mechanic under nor. 3 engine when it took a strike on the vertical fin. RMLG lit up and it traveled down, again into a storm drain. Interesting display of blue sparks between engine and mechanic. Ran over to drag him out but he was conscious, liked up at me and said, "Something happened, didn't, it?"
Third incident was down in KPHL. Had gone down for a problem on an L-1011 but a B.727-200 was struck by lightning. Again charge went down the LMLG into a storm drain. A ramie was closing forward baggage hold. Down he went in pouring rain. His buddies brought him into the locker room but unfortunately grabbed his feet and dragged his wad along the concrete, Fortunely face up. I met them in the locker room. He was out, had a pulse and was breathing. I was on a volunteer rescue squad so checked him for burns. He did have foot burns and hand and I heard later suffered from internal injuries.
Lightning is dangerous for sure. The first strike above was out of a cloudy sky but no thunder or rain. Same with second. Third, they should have stopped ramp operations. That's what I did in later years when I was in charge.