ST. GEORGE, Utah — Two students suffered life-threatening injuries when they were struck by lightning, school district officials said.

Police told ksl.com that the students were struck outside Snow Canyon High School in Santa Clara just after 3 p.m. The two boys, identified as Alex Lambsen and Christopher “Dane” Zdunich, were flown to the University Medical Center’s burn unit in Las Vegas for treatment.

Washington County school district spokesman Brad Ferguson said school had just gotten out for the day when they were hit.

“They were just a few yards from the building,” Ferguson said. He didn’t know the boys’ ages, but said Zdunich is a junior and Lambson is a senior.

The Spectrum of St. George reported the boys were standing under a tree, taking shelter from rain when they were struck. Other students were outside when it happened, but no one else was injured, Ferguson said.

A principal, two vice principals and a resource officer from another school, carried the boys inside the building and began CPR, St. George Police Sgt. Craig Harding told the Deseret News.

“They were afraid of another strike,” Ferguson said.

Zdunich and Lambson were taken to a St. George hospital and were in critical condition when they were flown to Las Vegas, he said.

Santa Clara is a St. George suburb in southwestern Utah.

via 2 Utah students critically hurt by lightning – Weather – msnbc.com.

Las Vegas • Two boys who were struck by lightning on Tuesday have been taken off respirators, are breathing on their own and have been upgraded from critical to serious condition, hospital officials confirm.

Christopher Dane Zdunich, 16, and Alex Lambson, 17, have been nodding and blinking answers to questions throughout the night, and Dane, who goes by his middle name, gave a thumbs-up sign to his twin sister, Kendle.

“It’s just been miraculous that both these boys are recovering so well,” said Leslie Broderick, Dane’s mother.

Lambson’s parents wrote on a blog detailing the boys’ recovery that Thursday was a “great” day for their son.

“He is a little agitated and strong,” they wrote. “It’s the Alex we all know and love.”

The early test results for both Alex and Dane include positive results, said Danita Cohen, spokeswoman for University Medical Center in Las Vegas, where the boys are being treated.

The two were waiting for a ride after school in their usual spot under a pine tree Tuesday when they were struck. They were within yards of Snow Canyon High School, surrounded by dozens of other students.

The boys have been kept under heavy sedation, and doctors were keeping them artificially cooled to prevent swelling of their brains. MRI results Thursday morning indicated the boys’ brain activity was strong enough for them to be removed from respirators.

Dane’s kidneys are still working overtime to flush out enzymes produced by tissue damaged in the lightning strike. He has had fluid in his lungs since the strike, but that seems to be clearing, Broderick said.

Damage to muscle tissue, including the heart, is common, said Dr. Meena Vorha, head of pediatrics at the hospital, on Wednesday.

Most lightning-caused deaths and long-term injuries are caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain and other organs because most strikes occur in wilderness areas where medical care is slow to come. But those aren’t big concerns for Alex and Dane because school administrators immediately began CPR and medical crews arrived shortly afterward, doctors said.

Both boys have suffered severe burns: Dane on the bottom of his feet and Alex on about 15 percent of his body, mostly on his torso. He will likely need skin grafts.

The strike also broke some of Alex’s bones, which will take time to heal, Vorha said.

Accounts in the boys’ names have been set up at Zions Bank branches to help pay for medical expenses not covered by insurance.

Doctors are closely monitoring the boys’ progress.

Making sure the heart is pumping in the proper rhythm is important, said H. Scott Bjerke, director of trauma at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo. He said it is possible for the heart to stop again after the initial cardiac arrest.

Dane has been on heart medication to make sure that doesn’t happen, said his stepfather, Tim Broderick.

Also, victims of lightning strikes can have their eardrums ruptured, while cataracts may form in their eyes, Bjerke added.

Cataracts have been reported as late as two years after the strike, but most often it occurs within the first week of the event.

The long-term effects of lightning strikes are inconsistent and are still being researched.

via Teens hit by lightning are on the mend | The Salt Lake Tribune.

Pretoria – The summer’s first real highveld thunderstorm has claimed the life of a Midrand man.

Two men were hit by lightning in separate incidents in Midrand on Thursday afternoon.

The man who died sought shelter from the rain under a tree when he was struck by lightning.

The incident happened at about 16:45 where the man was handing out pamphlets.

Johannesburg emergency services spokesperson Percy Morokane said the man, who was in his twenties, was pronounced dead at the scene.

In the other incident, a man who is also in his 20s, was struck by lightning when he was busy loading goods onto a bakkie near the Allandale turnoff at about 17:00.

He was taken to the Carstenhof hospital in a serious but stable condition, said Chris Botha of Netcare 911.

Thunderstorm

The thunderstorm on Thursday afternoon moved over parts of Johannesburg, Pretoria and surrounding areas.

In Sandton and Fourways, it rained heavily for about half an hour and in Aukland Park, it rained for several minutes.

SA Weather Service forecaster Mark Todd said the thunderstorm developed early on Thursday afternoon between the Vaal River and Johannesburg and moved in a north-easterly direction.

“The Mpumalanga highveld also got a bit of rain but it is still too early to say how much,” said Todd.

On Friday and Saturday there is still a 30% chance of rain and thunderstorms in Gauteng.

Todd said, however, that the weather would pass quickly.

“We have issued a warning for a heatwave, which will lead to constant warm temperatures in Gauteng from Saturday to Tuesday.”

During this heatwave, the mercury could rise to 35ºC in Pretoria and 33ºC in Johannesburg.

By Wednesday, temperatures would begin falling and the chances for proper rain would increase.

“From Wednesday, the chances are looking up for proper, substantial rain,” he said.

via Lightning kills man during storm: News24: South Africa: News.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A firefighter died after suffering a heart attack at a fire over the weekend.

Sacramento, Calif., Metropolitan Fire District Firefighter Jim Saunders collapsed while fighting a grass fire.

Firefighter Saunders, a 22-year veteran of the department, was treated on scene by firefighter/paramedics and transported to a local hospital, where he died Thursday morning.

A Line of Duty Death Funeral is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 12.

via Calif. firefighter dies after responding to grass fire.

A Porter man has died almost a month after he was struck by lightning at a youth soccer practice.

Franco Olascoaga, 21, was hit by the lightning bolt on Sept. 10 while coaching his team on the field at Robert Crippen Elementary School.

Olascoaga was talking on his cell phone while walking across the field when he was knocked out by the lightning strike. It was not raining at the time, officials said.

Olascoaga was taken in critical condition to Memorial Hermann Hospital — The Texas Medical Center, where he died on Thursday.

A 9-year-old girl also was treated at an area hospital for injuries sustained from the lightning.

The team that Olascoaga coached, the Dynamic Soccer Club, is not affiliated with the school but has permission to use the field at Crippen Elementary.

via Porter soccer coach dies a month after he’s struck by lightning | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle.

This afternoon holds the promise of answers about the extent of any long-term damage done to two St. George high school students who were struck by lightning Tuesday.

Anxious parents, siblings, relatives and friends have paced the hallways of University Medical Center while Alex Lambson, 17, and Christopher Dane Zdunich, 16, who goes by his middle name, have been under heavy sedation. They remain in critical condition.

Doctors have said they think a full recovery is likely. They wanted to keep the boys comfortable and their bodies focused on healing in the 48 hours after millions of volts of electricity stopped the hearts of both boys, but it has also prevented them from knowing exactly how the teens will recover.

The fog of sedation and the chill of artificial cooling that has kept their bodies about 6 degrees below normal should be lifted by about 3 p.m. today.

“All the tests have been coming back positive,” said Leslie Broderick, Zdunich’s mother.

His stepfather, Tim Broderick, said he has seen many signs of improvement such as sustained eye contact and Zdunich holding up two fingers when asked. It’s not the usual brilliant performance from a boy who reads physics books for fun, but such small gestures have brought optimism to his family.

“It felt really good to see those things,” Tim Broderick said. “The doctors have to be vague because they can’t make a promise to a concerned parent and then break it, but still, seeing that improvement gives me more hope each time.”

Zdunich has a first-degree burn on his head, where the lightning struck him, and second- and third-degree burns on the bottoms of his feet, where it exited.

Doctors are cooling his body to 93 degrees to prevent brain swelling and to slow his metabolism, Broderick said. He has also been on a ventilator as a precaution.

His family is eager to get a better prognosis once those efforts come to an end.

“When you have a piece of you lying in a bed and that special package is just there and there’s nothing you can do, and you’re waiting for someone else to come in and fix them, it’s frustrating for a parent,” Tim Broderick said.

But there also have been moments of lightheartedness.

Zdunich’s parents and his twin sister, Kendle, have been joking about how upset he’ll be when he sees that half his collar-length hair has been burned off.

“He won’t be angry he was hit by lightning. He won’t be angry they had to cut off his clothes and everyone at school saw him naked. No, he’ll be mad because he’s got a hell of a part right now,” Tim Broderick said with a laugh.

Doctors believe the lightning hit Zdunich and then jumped to Lambson. They were about five yards from Snow Canyon High School, surrounded by dozens of other students, when they were struck.

Lambson has burns on his face “like a bad sunburn,” said his mother, Kaleen Talley, and second- and third-degree burns on his torso, legs and backside. Last night, he made eye contact with his mother, but he has been too heavily sedated for much else, she said.

The lightning appeared to travel down his front but was redirected to the back when it hit his belt. In the “fraction of a nanosecond” it took for the lightning to strike and dissipate, it stopped Lambson’s heart, said Meena Vorha, chief of pediatrics at UMC.

Police said both boys’ hearts stopped. School administrators took the boys inside and immediately began CPR. Ambulances arrived seven minutes later, said Alex’s father, Arden Lambson.

“The school did a really good job. Those first few minutes are crucial. If the blood doesn’t start circulating for just a few minutes, you can get a significant brain injury,” Vorha said.

She says she sees no reason why Lambson won’t be able to return to running cross country and lifting weights. Skin grafts will likely be needed, Vorha said, which may take weeks or months.

The return of both boys to their homes and schools is all the St. George community wants.

Taylor Bolding, who was on the debate team with both boys and is a good friend, spent Wednesday placing donation jars at local businesses in St. George. He also started accounts at Zions Bank for donations to the boys.

“They are both very competitive spirits,” she said. “Both are hardheaded. They like to be the best at what they do and prove you wrong whenever they can.”

Lambson’s younger siblings stayed in St. George, and neighbors have “really gone beyond the call of neighborly duty” to take them in while their parents are away, Arden Lambson said.

Leslie Broderick says the community support helps, and “we know that the prayers are working.”

Her husband agrees.

“You can just feel this power when you’re next to Dane because of all the thoughts and prayers of family, friends and strangers,” Tim Broderick said. “It’s really awesome to see a community come together like this.”

via Teens hit by lightning likely to make full recovery | The Salt Lake Tribune.

SALT LAKE CITY — A hospital official in Las Vegas says two Utah teenagers remain in critical condition after they were struck by lightning outside their school.

University Medical Center spokeswoman Danita Cohen said Wednesday that doctors will be reassessing injuries to Christopher Dane Zdunich and Alex Lambson.

Zdunich’s mother, Leslie Broderick, tells the Salt Lake Tribune that doctors reported promising signs in the treatment both teens.

Both are 17 and students at Snow Canyon High School in Santa Clara, near St. George.

Officials say they suffered burns and internal and external injuries when a bolt of lightning hit a tree they were standing under during a thunderstorm shortly before 3 p.m. Tuesday.

via The Associated Press: Utah teens hit by lightning in critical condition.

A benefit will be held Saturday for Alex Cartwright, the 12-year-old struck by lightning while walking home from school in Morrison on Aug. 20.

Alex and his twin brother were crossing the playground when Alex was struck by lightning. Elementary School principal Joe Robbins kept Alex breathing until paramedics arrived.

Alex was treated at Morrison Community Hospital and Genesis Medical Center Illini Campus, Silvis, before being transferred to the Children’s Burn Unit at University Hospitals in Iowa City

He now is recovering at The Rehab Institute of Chicago, and doctors are optimistic that he will make a full recovery.

For more information, visit www.carepages.com under alexcartwright. You must register to access patient pages.

A group of volunteers called Alex’s Army is hosting the benefit Oct. 16 to help offset costs related to the accident. Activities include:

— A freewill-donation pancake breakfast from 6 to 11 a.m. at Emmanuel Reformed Church, 202 E. Morris St. in Morrison.

— 18-hole best-ball scramble golf tournaments at 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at Cross Creek Golf Club, 15523 Henry Road, Morrison. Cost for 18 holes is $40 per golfer and includes a cart and meal. To register, call Dixie at Cross Creek at (815) 772-7966.

— A 2 p.m. baggo tournament at Southside Elementary school. Cost is $20 a team in advance or $25 that day. For more information, or to enter, call Michelle Wolber at (815) 716-0271. Prizes are $250 for first place, $150 for second and $75 for third.

— A kiddie carnival from 2 to 4 p.m. at Southside Elementary.

— A 6 p.m. buffet dinner begins at Cross Creek. Cost is $8 a person in advance or $9 at the door, $4 for children 6 and younger.

— A silent auction from 6 to 8 p.m. at Cross Creek, with a live auction about 7 p.m. Winners will be announced at 9 p.m., followed by music. For information on dinner tickets, call Brandy Darby at (815) 772-8207.

To donate an item or service to the auction, call Velva Gire at (815) 632-9750 or Mindy Hagerman at (815) 441-7522. Items promised so far include a two-night condo stay at the Ozarks and Packers game tickets.

Auction lists will be updated at Alex’s Army page on Facebook.

via Benefit planned for Morrison boy struck by lightning – Quad Cities Online.

A youth soccer coach struck by lightning almost a month ago during a practice in East Montgomery County died Thursday morning at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center in Houston.

Franco Emmanuel Olascoaga, 21, had been in the hospital since he was struck by lightning Sept. 9 on a soccer field at Crippen Elementary School, located on Cumberland Drive off FM 1314.

A 9-year-old girl also was struck by lightning. She was transported to Kingwood Medical Center, where she was later released.

A spokesperson with Memorial Hermann–The Texas Medical Center declined comment on Olascoaga’s medical condition at the time of his death.

Olascoaga reportedly was on his cell phone when “a cloud came out of nowhere,” a New Caney Independent School District police officer previously said.

Crippen Elementary is in the New Caney Independent School District, but district officials said the soccer practice was not affiliated with either the school or the district.

via Youth soccer coach dies 4 weeks after lightning injuries > Conroe Courier > News Archives > Houston Community Newspapers Online – News Around Town.

ST. GEORGE, Utah – Two St. George students remain in critical condition in a Las Vegas hospital after being struck by lightning Tuesday afternoon. One of the teens has apparently improved slightly, having regained consciousness briefly Tuesday evening, while the other young man is said to still be in a medically induced coma. The lightning strike happened at about 2:55 p.m. Tuesday while the St. George area was rocked by a series of powerful thunderstorms.

Alex Lambson’s parents say their son has been through a lot in the past 24 hours. They held a news conference in Las Vegas Wednesday outside the University Medical Center’s burn unit.

“He’s made some eye contact last night, so he’s aware that we’re here but at the moment he’s not awake,” said Lambson’s mother, Kaleen Talley.

Dane Zdunich and Alex Lambson, both 17, were standing under a tree outside Snow Canyon High School when the lightning struck. Resource officers rushed to the teens and performed CPR until paramedics arrived.

The teens were first taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center, but were then airlifted to University Medical Center in Las Vegas to receive care at the hospital’s burn unit.

The teens’ exact injuries are still unclear, but doctors say in cases like these cardiac arrest is a major concern.

“So the heart would stop, the breathing would stop or both. That is the most life-threatening cause and the leading cause of death in lightning strikes,” said Intermountain Medical Center Dr. Colin K. Grissom, MD.

Friends and fellow schoolmates were shocked by the news. Friends of the boys say they witnessed the lightning strike incident.

“We were seriously 10 or 15 feet away from the tree and we saw Dane and Alex,” said their friend, Megan Funk.

“We saw them lying on the ground, they looked dead, they looked dead to me,” said another friend, Stacy Benton. “We walked out over towards the tree and we just saw both of them laying on the ground and Alex had smoke rising from his stomach and we’re like holy crap, so we ran towards the school and said ‘call 911.’”

The teens had 2nd to 3rd degree burns over their bodies. They were put in medically induced comas, paralyzed with medicine so they do not get hurt moving around.

The Washington County School District spokesperson says the teen’s parents are asking the community for prayers.

via LIGHTNING STRIKE: Mother says teen struck by lightning briefly regained consciousness – KSTU.

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Five people were rescued Saturday in two separate incidents, after being swept out to sea by powerful rip currents at Round Island Park beach.

One of the five was a woman, taken to Indian River Medical Center as a precaution after inhaling water.

“She was in a critical situation,” said 23-year-veteran ocean lifeguard Aaron Levy. “In my opinion, she would have drowned.”

Levy’s partner, lifeguard John Dotsey, pulled her to safety.

A man and woman who had tried to help her also were pulled from the ocean by Levy after being caught in the rip current.

Later Saturday, a 13-year-old girl and her father, a recent Army veteran were rescued by lifeguards, Levy said.

He compared rip currents to a river that pulls people out to sea. Levy said the currents remain strong even though last week’s big waves are subsiding.

He recommended always swimming near a lifeguard.

If caught in a rip current, remain calm and swim parallel to shore to escape it, he added.

via Five rescued from powerful rip currents on Indian River County beach | Treasure Coast Talk.

Rhodes University graduate Dean “Dootch” Du Chenne was laid to rest at the Blessed Sacrament Church in Durban North this week after he was struck dead by lighting in Canada at the end of last month.

On a Facebook page set up in his memorial, Du Chenne’s friends and family have spoken about the sudden loss.

Du Chenne, 22, was a former Maritzburg College student and the only son of Dennis and Di du Chenne of Ballito, and had two sisters, Claire and Jan.

Jonathan Pohl wrote on Facebook: “For the time I knew you at College and Rhodes, you were always active, jovial and such a pleasantly content guy. You had a positive aura and the most genuine person. Your loss is tragic.”

A Facebook message from Julie Ferreira read: “Rest In peace dearest Dean, you touched all of our lives in some way and we will never forget you, we will miss you terribly but your memory will live on in our hearts forever.”

According to the Calgary Herald, Du Chenne had taken up a chance to work at the Winter Olympics and experience life as a farmhand on a southern Alberta ranch and was working with two friends putting up fencing at Sears Ranches Beaver Camp when the incident occurred.

The three workers had to stop working when a storm brewed and were heading back to their truck when Du Chenne was struck by lightning.

A co-worker performed cardio pulmonary resuscitation on Du Chenne. He was taken to High River Hospital and later transferred to Calgary’s Foothills Hospital where he died the following morning.

He had been in Canada since December last year.

A large group gathered in Durban North on Wednesday to say their last goodbyes.

A memorial service will be held at Rhodes University Chapel on Saturday.

via News – General: Durban man killed by lightning in Canada.

BOSTON (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) – A Rockland man is in critical condition after being struck by lightning on Castle Island.

Steve O’Brien, 50, is in critical condition at Boston Medical Center.  His family tells us that he was taking his normal post-work walk around Castle Island when he was struck in the head by a bolt of lightning.

The bolt struck his head and exited his back, causing burns on several parts of his body.  Someone revived O’Brien, but the family is unsure who.

O’Brien lives in Rockland but was born in Southie.  His family tells us that he often walks around Castle Island after work.  They say he’s a great guy and  hard worker.  The family is holding vigil by his hospital bed.

via Man in critical condition after being struck by lightning.

RUSSELLVILLE, Ky. — A 16-year-old girl in Russellville, Ky., died Thursday morning after being struck by lightning, according to the Logan County Sheriff’s Department.

The girl, Mary Ella Leid, was digging for potatoes in an open field behind her house when she was struck.

The Logan County coroner pronounced her dead Thursday.

Thunderstorms affected southern Kentucky and Middle Tennessee for much of the day.

At 12:35 p.m., trees were blown down in Castalian Springs, Tenn., on Rock Springs Road in Sumner County. Trees were blown down at Berea Church Road and Coles Ferry in Lebanon, Tenn.

Large tree limbs were down on Wallace Lane, just west of Hillsboro Pike in Nashville. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across southern Dickson County.

Large trees were blow down on Baxter Road in Cookeville. Many trees and power lines were damaged across northern White County.

A tree blew down onto power lines in Summertown, Tenn., north of Lawrenceburg. Also, many trees down were on Polk Street in Tullahoma, Tenn.

via Ky. Girl Fatally Struck By Lightning – Nashville Weather News Story – WSMV Nashville.

The husband of a Rockland selectman has died at Boston Medical Center days after he was struck by lightning while walking on Castle Island.

50-year-old Stephen O’Brien, the husband of Rockland selectman Debbie O’Brien passed away Monday morning following the serious injuries he suffered as a result of the strike.

He had been in critical condition and under the close watch of doctors at Boston Medical Center since he was rushed to the hospital Thursday night in cardiac arrest.

O’Brien was walking on the island Thursday night when a storm suddenly rolled in and he was struck.

The victim’s son has set up a foundation webpage to help his family get by financially in the aftermath of O’Brien’s death.

Visit  www.ObiesFund.org to donate; the fund will help pay for medical bills and the family’s expenses.

“We’ve had constant support,” said the victim’s son. “Sometimes throughout the night there two or three people at the hospital, but during the day there’s upwards to twenty or thirty people there supporting my family.”

O’Brien’s son says his father had always been passionate about the Bruins, the Patriots and his family.

“Hes the best guy I know…I’ve never heard any one say one thing bad about my father, and every one I talk to says the same thing, ‘hes a caring guy, and he loves everybody,’” said O’Brien’s son.

O’Brien, a husband, father of three, a grandfather, was a native of South Boston.

via 95.9 WATD – Rockland: Local man described as ‘caring guy’ dies days after lightning strike.

An Alabama woman died at University Hospital Friday, three days after she was struck by lightning during a military training exercise at Fort Knox.

Carmela Kirkland, 18, of Dothan, Ala., died at 4:50 p.m., Deputy Coroner Jim Wesley said.

She had been taking part in the Army ROTC Leader’s Training Course at Fort Knox. A second woman was also injured in the strike.

They were struck Tuesday while their unit was attempting to move to a safer location during a thunderstorm.

The 29-day course is designed for college students who want to join a collegiate Army ROTC program.

via Alabama woman struck by lightning at Fort Knox dies | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal.

Police have identified a Hamilton man who died in a lightning storm late Wednesday afternoon.

He is Ronald McCreadie, 68. Police said this afternoon that officials have not confirmed he was killed by lightning.

Three citizens tried to revive a man believed to be struck by lightning during a severe thunderstorm that rolled through the Hamilton area.

One of the people helping was a nurse, but the 68-year-old did not survive the apparent strike yesterday afternoon on the west Mountain.

He was transported by ambulance to the Hamilton General Hospital shortly after 5:30 p.m. Police say an autopsy will be scheduled to determine his exact cause of death. They were not releasing his name last night until family had been notified, but did confirm he lived in the neighbourhood.

Passerby Peter Dach, 62, was riding his bike through what is known by local residents as the Woodside Inn Woods when he says he saw the lightning hit the man.

Dach, a retired steelworker, wonders if his bike saved him from getting hit.

“I was riding my bike along the trail and the rain had just started,” said Dach. “It was coming down quite a bit. I was about 10 to 15 metres away from this fellow I saw walking on the trail. He was coming up to a big tree. He was sort of walking towards this big tree and all of a sudden, bang.”

“I saw him hit by lightning. The sky lighted up and everything. There was a big crash. It sounded like a cannon going off.”

He said the stocky man was walking toward the tree carrying a book.

“He was walking with the book and all of a sudden he put the book down,” Dach said. “He was walking towards the tree and all of a sudden, bang, and over he goes. (The flash) was like it came from a welding iron. I saw a flash. He was into a step and all of a sudden he was down and he rolled on his back.”

Dach went to see if he was conscious.

“I tried to make eye contact to see if he could speak or anything,” said Dach.

“There was no response. I just slapped him and said, ‘Can you hear me? Can you hear me?’”

He said he could not feel a pulse.

“I tried CPR for 3 to 5 minutes, but got on my bike and went to (Upper) Paradise there to flag someone down,” he said. “Luckily, there was a nurse.”

They called 911 and flagged down another man to help before returning to the trail and the victim.

The woodlot, with a trail linked to the Bruce Trail, is between Scenic Drive and Sanatorium Road, on the edge of the Niagara Escarpment.

“I was giving him CPR,” Dach recalled. “(The other man) stepped in to give him CPR. He said he had just finished a course. He and I worked on him together while the (emergency) services came in. The nurse came down and she and (the other man) worked on him. I went out to the roadway to flag the fire engine and police car into the area, so that they could get to him.”

He estimated emergency personnel were on the scene within 15 minutes and “they were right on top of him with all of the equipment.”

The death of the man was the most tragic aspect of the storm that saw lightning and thunder shake the city, setting off security alarms in buildings. There were also reports of tree fires and lightning strikes at a local church, homes and a Flamborough community centre.

An investigator from the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office was to visit the scene of a Waterdown house fire this morning to determine if it was gutted by a lightning strike.

Firefighters were called to the vacant derelict Parkside farmhouse at about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and found it fully engulfed. District Fire Chief Brian Stark said firefighters had to force their way in to tackle the fire, suggesting it was not vandalism.

via TheSpec.com – Local – Storm victim identified by police.

July is the deadliest month for lightning strikes historically and July 2010 is proving no different.

A total of 21 people have been killed so far this year with 10 of those deaths this month alone.

Five people have been killed since Sunday, including a man struck down while riding a bike on Wednesday in Livingston County, Illinois.

All 21 lightning deaths have come since May 1st with 16 states recording at least 1 death including Georgia, Alabama, Connecticut, Louisiana, Missouri, Wyoming, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey, Maryland, Colorado, Texas and Arizona.

Georgia unfortunately, leads the nation with 3 recorded fatalities and all 3 deaths occurred in the Atlanta metro area.

While July is the deadliest month for lightning with an average of around 17 deaths per year, the summer months of June and August are considered to be just as deadly with both months averaging around 12 deaths per year, which brings us to lightning safety.

The lightning campaign that is being promoted is when thunder roars, go indoors and or if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

After reviewing the lightning fatalities thus far this year, that campaign while good, for the most part does not apply to typical summer thunderstorms.

Thunderstorms during the summer months are typically random in nature and can pop-up with little notice, meaning you may not even hear thunder before the first lightning strike occurs, which may happen right over your head.

This combined with the fact that more people spend time outdoors (sporting events, boating, swimming, mowing grass, etc), has contributed to most of the lightning deaths and injuries so far.

Some of the deaths reported from sudden thunderstorms include a 53 year old golfer in Tucson, Arizona, a 15 year old swimmer in Huntsville, Alabama, a 53 year old motorcyclist in Chaffee County, Colorado and a 40 year old man walking on St. Joe Beach, Florida.

These are all people who didn’t just ignore approaching lightning storms, but were caught off guard by pop-up random thunderstorms that developed near or over their area.

In the case of the recent Florida lightning death on Sunday, the man and his family saw signs of darkening clouds and began leaving the beach, when he was struck and killed.   There was no thunder before the deadly lightning strike occurred.

While recognizing the signs of developing thunderstorms are considered one of the tips for lightning safety, it should be the main safety tip, especially this time of year and it should be included into a new lightning campaign!!

Some signs of sudden developing thunderstorms include darkening and building cumulus clouds and a sudden shift or increase in winds.

Whether you want to or not, you must literally become a weather observer when there is a threat for thunderstorms on a day you have outdoor plans.

(NOTE: The United States averages around 57 lightning deaths per year)

via US lightning deaths rise to 21; lightning campaign does not fit most summer thunderstorms.

ANNAPOLIS — The Maryland Natural Resources Police say it appears that a lightning strike killed a 63-year-old Annapolis man who died Sunday while jet skiing on the Chesapeake Bay, just south of the Bay Bridge.

NRP says it appears the man, Warren Douglas Smith, was racing back to port because of a thunderstorm. Investigators say it appears Smith was not struck directly by lightning, but was electrocuted by a nearby strike.

Another jet ski rider, 65-year-old Elmer Sappington of Severn, was about 75 to 100 feet from Smith, but was not harmed by the lightning strike.

NRP reminds boaters that summer thunderstorms are common and frequently occur during the late evening hours. Lightning can strike over ten miles away from heavy rain and storms.

Anyone caught on the water during a thunderstorm should move to land and seek shelter immediately. As a matter of practice, boaters should review the weather forecast before leaving the dock and plan trips accordingly.

via MARYLAND: Lightning strike blamed in jet ski rider’s death | delmarvanow.com | The Daily Times.

The number of people killed by Sunday’s storms in the Washington area has risen to four.

Carl Henn of Rockville, who was hit by lightning, died Tuesday night.

Police now say they believe it was also lightning that killed Warren Douglas Smith, 63, of Annapolis.

The Maryland Natural Resources Police say Smith was riding a jet ski a half mile south of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. He was racing back to port as the storm blew in when lightning hit near him, electrocuting him, police believe.

Friends say Carl Henn, 48, was a decided environmentalist, who was working in a garden when the storm hit.

Henn ran for Rockville City Council at least three times, they say. He never won, but he was more involved in his community than most.

“It is absolutely an incredible loss. he was one of the very few positive influences in the city–an activist, but a positive activist,” said Rockville Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio.

Henn was at a picnic at King Farm when the fierce storm suddenly hit. He was celebrating the harvest from the three community gardens whose creation he spearheaded.

dale mccarthy was there:

“It was hail at the top of that hill, winds that were beyond belief,” said Dale McCarthy who was there. “It was a microburst kind of situation, it was a tornado touchdown basically and we thought everyone had run to their cars.”

But Henn had ridden his bike, and never made it to safety.

“We found Carl on the ground,” Dennis McCarthy said. “And he had no pulse and was not breathing, so Andre and I yelled to somebody else to call 911.”

But they kept getting busy signals. They finally drove Henn to the hospital in a neighbor’s car.

His friends said it was inexcusable that they couldn’t get through to 911.

Carl Henn was the ideal public citizen, friends say, admired for his civic work, and deeply mourned by his wife, Carol, and daughters, Jessica and Allison.

In addition to Henn and Smith, the other victims of the storm include 6-year-old Eric Lawson, who was killed when a tree fell on him at a Sterling recreation center.

And Michelle Humanick, 44, who died when a tree crashed into her minivan in Beltsville, pinning her and her mother.

ABC 7 News reported on Lawson’s and Humanick’s deaths Sunday night at wjla.com.

via Henn’s Death Raises Storm Victims to 4 | ABC 7 News.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Maryland Natural Resources Police say lightning killed an Annapolis man caught on a personal watercraft during a thunderstorm near the Bay Bridge.

Officials say 63-year-old Warren Douglas Smith and another man were riding two personal watercraft Sunday evening a half-mile south of the bay Bridge when a storm blew in. Smith was pronounced dead at Anne Arundel Medical Center.

Natural Resources Police say a preliminary autopsy determined Smith died of electrocution. Investigators believe he was not hit directly by lightning but electrocuted by a nearby strike. Smith’s companion, 65-year-old Elmer Sappington, was 75 to 100 feet away on another watercraft but was not harmed.

A final autopsy is expected to be conducted in the next month.

via Maryland Storm Death Attributed to Lightning, | WJTV.com.

ST. JOE BEACH, Fla. — A Georgia man has died after being struck by lightning during his Florida vacation.

The Gulf County Sheriff’s Office says 40-year-old David Eugene Lee was hit Sunday while visiting a Panhandle beach with his wife and children.

They spotted gathering storm clouds and began to leave the beach when Lee’s wife heard thunder. She turned around to find her husband collapsed.

Lee was pronounced dead after being rushed to a Port St. Joe hospital.

via Florida vacationer killed by lightning strike – Florida AP – MiamiHerald.com.

A chance to work at the Winter Olympics and experience life as a farmhand on a southern Alberta ranch lured Dean Duchenne from South Africa.

The 22-year-old’s dreams of adventure in the Canadian west came to an abrupt end when he was struck and killed by a bolt of lightning during a storm Thursday.

Claresholm RCMP say Duchenne and two friends were putting up fencing at Sears Ranches Beaver Camp when a threatening storm began rolling in, cutting short their work northwest of Stavely around 5:30 p.m.

As they were heading back to their work truck, Duchenne was blasted by a direct hit of lightning.

“Poor lad. He travelled half way around the world to be here,” said Claresholm RCMP Cpl. Dalyn Orsten.

“I think it’s safe to say that’s not something that’s ever going to happen here again.”

A friend walking beside Duchenne was also injured and knocked unconscious briefly.

An uninjured co-worker performed CPR on Duchenne until help arrived.

Duchenne was taken to High River hospital and later transferred to Calgary’s Foothills.

He died the following morning.

Duchenne arrived in Canada last December with three friends to work at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and Whistler.

With many more months left on their visas, the group found work at Sears Ranch in southern Alberta last March.

Despite having no ranching experience, Duchenne was a fast learner and a hard worker, his boss says.

“No experience but he was a good kid. They were all good kids,” said Jeff Sears, who put the young men to work with livestock and other agricultural chores.

Thursday’s freak occurrence is made even more upsetting because the crew were following safety procedures by stopping work under thunderstorm conditions.

“They did everything right, that’s what’s so frustrating,” said Sears.

“He was very, very outgoing, everybody who met him enjoyed him and liked him.”

Famiy and friends in South Africa are still grappling with the random and violent nature of Duchenne’s death.

Friend Chris Le Roux says Duchenne was excited for his Canadian adventure.

“I think he was looking for a break, to get away from everything and do something different,” said Le Roux, who says he regretted skipping the Canada trip to finish his studies.

“He brought the best out of them and people’s confidence soared after meeting him.

“He lived every second of every day to its fullest and I know he passed away with not one regret, except playing rugby for South Africa or the Sharks,” said Le Roux.

Arrangements to transport his body back to South Africa have been made.

Duchenne’s friends left for South Africa to attend the funeral but plan on returning to Canada, Le Roux said.

via Ranch hand killed by lightning strike was following his dream.

Lake Guntersville – Marshall County Coroner Marlon Killion confirms to WHNT News 19 that a 15-year-old girl died Sunday afternoon after being struck by lightning. The girl was swimming with family at the Honeycomb Campground off of Honeycomb Road.

The girl’s mother and sister were also hurt in the strike. Both were taken to Huntsville Hospital.

Killion says the 15-year-old was pronounced dead in the emergency room at Huntsville Hospital.

The Honeycomb Campground is located just off of highway 431 between Huntsville and Guntersville in Marshall County.

via deadly lightning strike marshall county – WHNT.

RAVENNA,Ohio – Joe Strong loved his family, he loved life, and he loved fishing.

Joe and Melissa Strong, along with a friend, were fishing on the Bassett Channel in Ontario Friday afternoon.  They were laughing, joking and catching fish.

But, the sunny, hot summer day changed in an instant.

“All of a sudden the sky was black and there was a lightning strike,” Melissa Strong said.

The couple headed for land, but the storm was too bad. Joe Strong steered the boat into a nearby patch of reeds for protection, Melissa Strong recalled.

Her 41-year-old husband was worried about his uncle who was in a nearby boat. Joe Strong got on the back of his boat to see if his uncle was OK, and he was.

At that precise moment, Joe Strong was hit by lightning, Melissa said.

She attempted to perform CPR on her husband while rescuers tried to reach the boat that was still miles from shore.

Joe and Melissa Strong had been married just 3 months.

Melissa, a newly wed only three days ago, is now a heartbroken widow, who lost her husband and best friend.

“I wake up every morning thinking it was a dream,” she said,” but it’s not a dream.”

via Ravenna family devestated by death.

WALPOLE ISLAND, Ontario – Police are investigating the death of a Northeast Ohio man, who they suspect was killed by lightning.

The 41-year-old Ravenna resident was out on his boat with friends and family on the south end Bassett Channel Friday afternoon.

Walpole Island Police say when the storm moved in, people on the boat tried to seek shelter in some reeds.

According to witnesses on the boat, they heard a loud crack and saw a bright flash.

Immediately after lightning struck, they found the victim lying on the deck unresponsive.

Shortly after 2:00 p.m. Friday, a 911 call was made and the Coast Guard was able to locate the boat and get it to shore.

An autopsy is scheduled for later today. The name of the victim is not being released until family is notified.

via Northeast Ohio Man Killed by Lightning in Canada – WJW.

A 57-year-old woman died early Wednesday after rescuing her grandchild from a rip current off Old Orchard Beach in Maine, and officials warned there may be more of the treacherous currents in the area this year.

Anne Farley of Westbrook, Maine, jumped in the water at Saco Beach Tuesday afternoon when she saw one of her grandchildren struggling in the water, Old Orchard Beach Fire Chief John Glass said. Farley managed to push her grandchild to the point the child could swim back to shore, but was unable to make it back herself, the family told officials.

Witnesses at neighboring Old Orchard Beach spotted Farley face down in the water and alerted lifeguards, who pulled her out and performed CPR, Glass said. She was transported to Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford, then transferred to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where she died Wednesday morning, he said.

Lifeguards rescued five other swimmers at the same time as Farley; they were unharmed. Glass said he was unsure if Farley, who was unconscious when lifeguards pulled her out of the water, had been caught underwater in a rip current or became too exhausted to continue swimming.

The area has experienced unusually strong rip currents this year, Glass said. Over Fourth of July weekend alone, lifeguards rescued about 50 people who were caught in the currents, he said. Farley was the first unsuccessful rescue this season, he said.

Unprecedented erosion up and down the New England coastline may be to blame for the unusual currents, said Stephen Dickson, a marine geologist for the Maine Geological Survey said. Strong storms wore away at beaches earlier this year in ways not seen for 20 years, he said.

“It’s a possibility,” Dickson said. “Lifeguards and swimmers are experiencing new rip currents in places they’ve never seen before. It will probably remain hazardous to swimming for the rest of the summer.”

via Maine woman dies rescuing grandchild; officials warn of rip currents – Local News Updates – MetroDesk – The Boston Globe.

A 12-year-old girl died Tuesday after falling into floodwaters near Flagstaff, Arizona, authorities said.

Shaelyn Wilson had gone to see runoff from a flash flood around 2 p.m., according to the Coconino Sheriff’s Department. A younger sister ran back to tell the father that Shaelyn had fallen into a wash.

The family searched the area near where the girl fell and several agencies also took part in the search, according to Kelli Most, administrative specialist with the sheriff’s department.

The girl was found about a third of a mile from where she went into the water, and her father performed CPR until paramedics arrived. She was pronounced dead at Flagstaff Medical Center.

A massive wildfire last month made the area susceptible to flooding, said Most. “There’s just no greenery there” to prevent runoff, she said. The blaze charred 15,000 acres.

Several small streams pushed over their banks, and flash floods were threatening homes, according to CNN affiliate KPHO.

via Arizona girl, 12, dies in flooding – CNN.com.

MONTREAL – A 46-year-old man was in critical condition Sunday morning after he and his wife, 49, were struck by lightning Saturday evening in the city’s east end.

The man suffered severe internal burns and was in cardiac arrest when ambulance technicians took him away about 7:40 p.m. from the corner of Frontenac St. and Notre Dame St., Urgences Santé spokesperson Benoit Garneau said.

“He had some serious internal injuries and was hemorrhaging,” Garneau said. “His wife was also seriously burned, but she regained consciousness as she was being transported to the hospital.”

The man was listed in critical condition in a hospital’s intensive-care unit on Sunday morning, Garneau said.

The couple were under the tree during a thunderstorm and had gone there to watch the fireworks festival later Saturday night. They had folding chairs and an umbrella, which may have attracted the lightning, Garneau said.

“There’s nothing worse for attracting lightning than being under a tree holding something made of metal and with your feet on the ground,” Garneau said. “The lightning struck the tree and hit them directly.”

Elsewhere in Montreal, the strong rains Saturday afternoon and evening caused flooding in the Acadie Circle area resulting in temporary closures of parts of Highways 15 and 40 between roughly 4:15 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., according to Transport Quebec. The agency has warned motorists to avoid the Decarie Expressway and the Acadie Circle during heavy rainstorms as it is prone to flooding. There were no motorists left stranded in the flooded areas, a Transport Quebec spokesperson said Sunday.

The rains and wind also toppled trees in St. Eustache and Sherbrooke, and hail and a waterspout cloud were seen in Mascouche. A man’s awning was knocked over in Kirkland, causing several people who were under it to run for cover.

There was some flooding reported on Le Carrefour Blvd. near Cure Labelle Blvd. in Laval.

Environment Canada was checking to see if a mini-tornado may have occurred in St. Lazare.

Environment Canada is predicting a warm day on Sunday, with a high of 28C, and then a return to seasonal temperatures for the early part of the week.

According to Environment Canada, lightning is an electrical discharge caused by a build-up of static electricity between thunderclouds, or between thunderclouds and the ground. It can deliver as much as 100 million volts of electricity and strike a target up to 16 kilometres away, making it extremely dangerous.

Thunder is the noise created when air suddenly expands from the heat of a lightning discharge. If you count the seconds between a flash of lightning and a thunder clap, you can tell approximately how close the lightning is to you: each second representing about 300 metres.

Some lightning safety tips:

1) If you can hear thunder, you are within distance of a lightning strike. Take shelter immediately, preferably in a house or all-metal automobile (not convertible top) or in a low-lying area.

2) When there is lightning nearby, head indoors immediately. Stay away from electrical appliances and equipment, doors, windows, fireplaces and anything else that will conduct electricity, such as sinks, tubs and showers. Avoid using a telephone that is connected to a landline.

3) If you are in your car, do not park under tall objects that could topple, and do not get out if there are downed power lines nearby.

4) There is no safe place outdoors during thunderstorms. As such, in situations where you find yourself outside during a thunderstorm, it is best to quickly get to a safe indoor venue as soon as possible, or a car if an indoor area is not available.

5) If you find yourself stuck outside with no other safe option, keep away from trees and other tall hazards, and drop to your knees, bent forward so your head is lower than your back (but not touching the ground) and put your hands on your thighs. Do not lie flat on the ground. Remember that even if you do this, being exposed outside during a thunderstorm with lightning can lead to serious danger, injury and even death.

6) If caught on the water in a small boat with no cabin, quickly get to shore. Boats with cabins offer a safer but still not ideal environment.

7) People who have been struck by lightning do not carry an electrical charge and can be safely handled. Call for medical assistance immediately and, if breathing has stopped, administer mouth-to-mouth or cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.

via Montreal couple struck, burned by lightning.

(NECN: Kenneth Craig, Rindge, N.H.) – A mother and her nine-year-old son were struck by lightning Friday night while heading to their lakeside vacation home.

A bolt of lightning ripped through their campsite, creating a terrifying experience.

“It was scary,” Bonnie Mann said. “I couldn’t move my legs. I was paralyzed for a period of time.”

The two are lucky to be alive after being struck at the Rindge, N.H. Vacation home. It was an almost one-in-a-million chance that they were struck Friday night.

“It was a huge vibrating feeling,” Bonnie Mann said. “[It lasted] long enough to wonder when it was going to stop.”

She said they held each other as they waited for help. Simon asked his mother if they would make it out alive.

The mother and son, who were there with family vacationing from Switzerland, were taken to area hospitals and quickly released. They said all they have to show for their adventure are a few superficial burns and blisters. They are thankful for the way it ended — without serious damage.

The family has about a week left before they had back home. They said they will not be taking any chances with summer storms again.

via Woman struck by lightning, momentarily paralyzed.

TAMPA, Fla. (WTSP) – The sinkhole that swallowed a Toyota Camry is continuing to grow, officials tell 10 Connects.

At last measurement it was 22 feet by 24 feet and 17 feet to the dirt on the bottom. The depth does not take into account where the Camry is, in fact, no one is quite sure how deep the car is.

The rear end of the car was completely covered by dirt by late last night.

Hillsborough County Code Enforcement officials tell 10 Connects the sinkhole does not appear to be directly impacting the structure of the Bordeaux Village condos on N. 50th Street, however it has grown to the staircase of the building.

Code enforcement was back out at the complex on Monday, assessing damage to the building.

Several families were evacuated from the row of condos after it was deemed unsafe.

Robin Caton, with Hillsborough Code Enforcement, says they will not allow anyone to move back in until an engineer determines the sinkhole has been stabilized and the building is safe.

The Red Cross has been assisting the families who were forced out by finding them hotel rooms for the next few days.

Caton says engineers hired by the property managers will determine how to fix the sinkhole and whether it makes sense to remove the car.

Vibrations in the ground could make the situation worse, sinkhole exerts say.

Caton says they have spoken to people who live in the neighborhoods near the complex, alerting them to the sinkhole and what they need to look out for in case a sinkhole develops on their property.

Calls to the Bordeaux Village management were not returned as of Monday afternoon.

via Giant Sinkhole Swallows Car | WUSA9.com | Washington, DC |.

VESTABURG — Two people have been airlifted to the hospital and two others were transported by ambulance for treatment after they were struck by lightning outside the Rock Lake Bible Methodist Church this afternoon, police said.

The victims, whose ages range from 10 to 18, were huddled under umbrellas near a baseball field after a sudden storm swept across the region, Montcalm County Undersheriff Mark Bellinger said.

One of the injured boys was unresponsive when authorities received a 911 call about 2:11 p.m.

Each of the four were knocked to the ground and suffered burns and numbness to their extremities, police said.

via Four struck by lightning outside Rock Lake Bible Methodist Church in Vestaburg | MLive.com.

A man who was struck by lightning last weekend at an east-side golf course died Tuesday, police said.

Francisco Juarez died at University Medical Center after he was hit by lightning Saturday while golfing at Fred Enke Golf Course, 8251 E. Irvington Road, said Sgt. Diana Lopez, a Tucson Police Department spokeswoman.

Another golfer who was about 50 feet away from the man was treated and released for minor injuries after he was shocked during the lightning strike, said Tucson Fire Department spokeswoman Capt. Trish Tracy at the time of the incident.

The man, who was in his 40s, was at the driving range when he was struck, Tracy said.

via Man struck by lightning on Tucson golf course dies.

A Cobb County teenager died after being struck by lightning Tuesday afternoon, police said.

The 16-year-old girl, whose name has not been released, was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where she died, Officer Joseph Hernandez told the AJC.

Another 15-year-old girl was also injured, and she remained in critical condition Tuesday night, Hernandez said. The incident happened shortly after 5 p.m. when lightning struck a tree in an apartment complex near Austell, he said.

“Lightning struck a tree and the girls were under the tree when this happened,” Hernandez said.

The girls lived in the Windwood Apartments, located on Shenandoah Trail, Hernandez said. The teenagers had apparently been inside an apartment watching television just prior to going outside, he said.

The lightning was powerful enough to split trees in the complex, police said.

The Cobb victim is the second metro Atlanta teenager killed by lightning in two weeks. Eric West, who had recently moved to Henry County, died June 30 when he was struck by lightning in his McDonough neighborhood.

via Teen dies after being struck by lightning  | ajc.com.

Port St. Joe – Single red flags were flying at St. Joseph State Park when a man, his son, and his brother-in-law waded into the waist deep water. A short time later, the man would be dead, and his brother in law hospitalized.

Although names are being held pending the family’s notification, the drowning happened around noon, shortly after a 53-year-old man, his 21-year-old son, and his 49-year-old brother in law waded into the surf. Although the trio was in waist deep water, they got caught up in a rip current, and were dragged away from the shore.

A beach goer noticed that they were in trouble, and called 911. Then other beach goers, park rangers, and DEP Police all responded, pulling the men to shore, where they began to perform CPR on the 53-year-old man. From the beach, he was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital Port St. Joe, where he was pronounced dead at 1:10 p.m.

The son was treated and released, the man’s brother in law was airlifted to Bay Medical Center in Panama City, where he’s listed in stable condition.

via Rip current costs a man his life in Gulf County.

Bill Walker was not a strong swimmer.

But when the 48-year-old San Jose man saw a family desperately struggling in a violent Pacific Ocean current off a notoriously dangerous Monterey County beach, he jumped in to help.

The act of bravery cost him his life. Yet it saved two others.

The longtime operations manager at San Jose’s Silitronics died Saturday on Monastery Beach shortly after pulling a young girl and her grandmother to safety; the coroner’s report called his death an “ocean drowning.”

Interviews with witnesses, the state parks superintendent, a coroner’s detective, Cal Fire and a sheriff’s report indicate that Walker had gone into the water to save the woman, her daughter and granddaughter, who along with perhaps three or more others had been caught by a rough current.

While Walker was able to save the grandmother and granddaughter, he tried but couldn’t save the girl’s mother, 31-year-old Nalini Kommineni of Cupertino. She was pronounced dead Wednesday after her organs were harvested to help others, according to the Monterey County coroner.

They all fell victim to a lovely but deadly strip of beach that’s part of the Carmel River State Beach. Because of its rough rip currents, locals have nicknamed the area “Mortuary Beach.”

“There’s not a person here who doesn’t want that beach closed to swimming,” said coroner’s detective Kevin Gardepie. “It may be great for scuba diving, but we have too many fatalities there because of the rip currents.”

From 1985 to 2009, there have been at least 16 deaths at Monastery Beach, according to the Divers Alert Network medical research department and news archives from the Monterey County Herald.

“People just get sucked out by the undertow,” said Monterey County sheriff’s Cmdr. Mike Richards. “There are signs up and down the beach about the dangers. But I guess people just don’t pay attention.”

Hours before he died, Walker and his girlfriend, Barbara Basinger, 45, of Carmichael, had spent the day taking pictures and enjoying the wildlife at Point Lobos.

Then, the couple decided to watch the sunset and headed to the beach.

“We both loved listening to the waves and watching the surf,” Basinger said.

She closed her eyes and lay down on the sand. But she jumped up with a start just before 6 p.m. to see Walker about 100 feet out from shore.

“People were yelling and shouting and Bill just dove in,” she said.

Walker managed to bring the grandmother and child back to shore. Then he went back out for Kommineni. As they were carried farther out and Walker began to struggle himself, he let go of her, reports state.

By that time, lifeguards arrived and went in after Kommineni.

“Men helped pull Bill in,” Basinger said. “At first, he was sitting up, trying to catch his breath. But then he just passed out.”

Sheriff’s reports show that Deputy Mike Fritsche and a good Samaritan performed CPR until paramedics came. But it was too late. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Walker’s death has devastated his co-workers and family.

Colleagues from Silitronics, a microelectronics manufacturer where Walker worked for 25 years, have written heartfelt remembrances on an online guest book about the man they said helped them on the job and who was kind and thoughtful.

Walker’s family had already been hit by tragedy. Last year, his younger brother, Ron Walker, died when his truck skidded on black ice and crashed in the Sierra.

That leaves his parents, Charles and Judy, and surviving brother, David, all of San Jose.

“The family is just so distraught,” said Christine Walker, David’s wife.

She said that being the eldest son, Walker was the go-to guy for everyone’s needs, especially his elderly parents, who have both suffered health problems in recent years.

“Bill would always be the one checking on his parents,” Christine Walker said. “One of the defining things about his life was how much he cared for others. So dying how he did isn’t a surprise to anyone.”

A bachelor, Walker met Basinger nearly three years ago at a woodworking and crafts show in Sacramento. They caught each other’s eye at lunch and were soon a couple.

“He was always trying to make me happy,” Basinger said. “He wrote me love poems. He gave me hugs all the time.”

Knowing that Walker, a Westmont High School graduate who loved woodworking, photography and golf, died being a hero is a small silver lining to his family. What also helps is knowing that he was madly in love with a woman who was by his side during his darkest, and bravest, hour.

“Bill died head over heels in love with Barbara,” Christine Walker said. “We know that he died a happy man.”

via San Jose man saved two from drowning, died trying save a third – San Jose Mercury News.

Details are sketchy Tuesday night, but a construction worker is being treated at a Peoria hospital after he was struck by lightning.

The unidentified worker was injured about 6:30 Tuesday night, as storms moved through the area of Washburn.

A Metamora Ambulance crew transported the man to OSF St. Francis Medical Center for treatment of his injuries and stabilization before he could be transferred to Memorial Burn Center in Springfield.

via Worker Struck By Lightning In Washburn | WEEK News 25 – News, Sports, Weather – Peoria, Illinois | Local News.

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) — A boater is speaking out after his boat was struck by lightning on the Fourth of July.

“The skies were beautiful, the seas were beautiful and all of a sudden it just changed on us,” said Debby Post.

The stormy weather forced the Post family to cut their boating trip short. Post’s husband, Chip, was at the helm of the 37-foot boat while the rest of the family took cover below. That’s when lightning struck. “It was just a huge flash and a deafening sound,” said Chip.

Post knew the boat had been struck. “It shook the boat. You knew it hit,” she said.

The lightning bolt snapped an antenna and ripped a hole in the canvas above Chip’s head. Shards of fiber glass shot through his rain coat and into his arm. “I thought it was a straight strike of lightning went through my arm and through the leg, but it was just the shards going through the jacket,” said Chip.

Meanwhile, Post wasn’t sure if her husband was alive. “I saw things falling around the boat thinking it was pieces of my husband, perhaps,” she said. “I thought he was gone and that’s why I hesitated going up the steps”

Chip steered the boat back to shore. Aside from his arm he was OK.

Released from the hospital, he is back home with his family showing pictures, and the raincoat, from the trip. Reminders of the one Fourth of July trip he is not likely to forget. “It’s good to be here, definitely,” said Chip. “I feel lucky, you know.”

The longtime boater said he appreciates the efforts of the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the Coast Guard and everyone else who came out to help him.

via WSVN-TV – Man’s boat struck by lightning.

DELRAY BEACH — A man was taken to Delray Medical Center Friday evening after reports that he was struck by lightning.

Delray Beach Fire Rescue found the man, in his late 20s, near the Oakmont development on Old Germantown Road around 9 p.m.

The man, whose name was not released, appeared to be in stable condition was taken to the hospital for observation, Lt. Ed Beardsley said.

via Man struck by lightning in Delray Beach, in stable condition.

MEXICO CITY, July 2 (Xinhua) — Civil Protection authorities in northern Mexican state Nuevo Leon raised the death toll from Alex to seven on Friday from four a day earlier, Mexican broadcasters reported.

Alex, which hit northeastern Mexico state Tamaulipas as a category two hurricane on Wednesday night, dumped heavy rains to four states including Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Zacatecas and Jalisco.

The tropical storm is downgraded to a minor storm.

The total death toll in Mexico is now 13. Some 10 people died due to Alex’s destructive journey through Nicaragua, El Salvador and Nicaragua.

On Friday, Mexico’s Interior Ministry declared an emergency for 21 municipalities in Nuevo Leon, a move which frees funds from the National Disaster Fund managed by the ministry.

Rodolfo Navarrete, an economist at Vector Casa de Bolsa, told Xinhua that the disaster will have a clear economic impact for the nation as a whole.

“The hurricane will have an economic impact because Monterrey is practically paralysed,” Navarrete said. “It is going to reduce industrial production in July.”

The hurricane has destroyed bridges, caused oil slick and paralysed traffic in some regions. A group representing Monterrey business owners said that some 25,000 people did not show up for work on Friday.

Monterrey is Mexico’s most industrialized city and part of an area dedicated to manufacturing for export that spread across all of Mexico’s border states. Alongside central Mexican state Puebla, border states produce large volumes of vehicles for export to the United States, the nation’s northern neighbor.

The auto industry represents around 15 percent of Mexico’s gross domestic product.

via Death toll from Alex rises to 7 in northern Mexican state.