Highlighting the dangers of improper shelter during thunderstorms, four Americans were almost killed by lightning.
Four Kentucky women seeking shelter from a Florida storm under a tiki hut found themselves knocked unconscious when lightning struck.
The women were enjoying their vacation at the Marriott on Marco Island beach when a storm quickly approached.
Trying to escape the rain, they made a decision that nearly cost them their lives.
“The siren went off, and we knew there was a storm coming. The nearest thing to us was a little tiki hut and that’s where we decided to take shelter,” Danielle Sturgill recounted.
Unfortunately, outdoor structures like tiki huts provide zero protection from lightning, a fact many vacationers do not realize until it is too late.
When lightning struck the tiki hut, it created a ground current through the sand that knocked all four women unconscious.
The powerful strike sent electrical current surging through their bodies, leaving them temporarily disabled when they regained consciousness.
“I completely fell backwards. Like, it’s just like it knocked me completely out. Like, I went unconscious,” said Rebecca Johnson.
The aftermath was frightening. Johnson experienced temporary hearing and vision problems along with severe bruising.
Her friend Kelli Bryant reported even more alarming symptoms. “When I first woke up, I couldn’t feel my legs at all. They were completely numb,” Bryant recounted.
Taylor Sturgill described the confusion after regaining consciousness: “When I picked myself up off the ground, I looked at Becky and I said, ‘what in the world just happened to us?'”
The four women were lucky to survive an incident that could have easily turned deadly.
Their experience underscores how many Americans remain dangerously uninformed about proper lightning safety protocols.
According to the National Lightning Safety Council, there have already been four lightning fatalities this year across the nation.
The women decided to commemorate their brush with death by getting matching lightning bolt tattoos.
“We’re here getting lightning bolt tattoos, matching tattoos, to remember our girls’ trip and just thank God that we’re here to do it,” Danielle Sturgill said.
Safety experts emphasize that beaches are the second-deadliest location for lightning strikes, following only fishing activities.
Since 2006, 32 Americans have died from lightning strikes at beaches, a statistic that highlights the need for better education and awareness.
The timing of the incident coincides with Lightning Safety Awareness Week, a period set aside to educate Americans about the very real dangers that these women experienced firsthand.
Experts warn that lightning can strike from as far as 25 miles away from a storm.
Tragically, just one day before this incident, a 29-year-old Colorado man on his honeymoon was killed by lightning at New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood expressed his condolences: “So sorry for the tragic loss of a young man here on a delayed honeymoon with his wife. At 29 years old, he should have had many more anniversaries with her for years to come.”
When at the beach, experts advise immediately seeking solid indoor shelter at the first sign of an approaching storm.
