Lightning strike during Independence Day celebration kills 1, sends several to the hospital
As many as 12 people were struck by lightning on the banks of the Black River at Lawshee Plantation in Georgetown County, South Carolina, around 2:10 p.m. EDT Thursday, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. According to a report from local emergency management, one person was killed and four people were found unresponsive.
WPDE in Georgia reported eight of the lightning strike victims were take to a local hospital and three were released shortly after being treated.
The Georgetown County coroner's office identified 44-year-old Ryan Gamble of Andrews, South Carolina, as the man who died from injuries suffered in the strike, according to News 13, after he was rushed to the hospital.
This is the first lightning fatality in South Carolina since June 27, 2015, according to John Jensenius of the National Lightning Safety Council.
In this March 6, 2017 photo, lightning strikes near the barn on the Taylor farm near Lawrence, Kan. Lightning used to kill about 300 Americans a year, but lightning deaths are on pace to hit a record low this year. Scientists say less time spent outside and improved medical treatment have contributed to fewer deaths. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner, File)
The two other victims who had been transported to a nearby hospital are being held for observation, told the news station.
"We were just sitting in the river waiting for the storm to blow over. The lightning hit the tree and ran through all of us," Joseph Dalzell told ABC 7.
The lightning hit a tree next to the river, according to Georgetown County Battalion Chief David Geney. Due to difficult terrain, pouring rain and the location being in a remote area, it was difficult for first responders to reach the group.
The group of people affected included family and friends from the ages of 9 to 46, one of the victims, Billie Camlin, told ABC 7. When the news organization asked what it had felt like to be struck, Camlin said, "Like a shock through your body. Indescribable."
Authorities told WMBF News a group of people were grilling near the river when the lightning struck the tree.
Sydney Glenn, a reporter for WPDE who covered the story for the news station posted photos on Twitter from the site of the lightning strike. Those images show the tree that was struck and its proximity to the nearby river. Another ominous tweet she posted included an image of a hat thrown on the ground an a charred piece of wood that appeared to have been blown off the tree that was struck.
Thunderstorms are predicted to persist across the eastern U.S. through the rest of the week and into the weekend.
People planning to spend time outdoors should keep an eye to the sky and head indoors at the first signs of thunder or lightning.
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