One bad decision could prove lethal in the blink of an eye as evidenced by the ordeal four unsuspecting friends experienced.
Four Kentucky women luckily survived a terrifying lightning strike during their Florida beach vacation after seeking shelter in the wrong place.
The incident knocked all four unconscious after they huddled under a tiki hut at Marco Island’s Marriott resort.
The women were enjoying their girls’ trip when a sudden storm approached the Gulf Coast beach.
Following a warning siren, they sought what they believed was safe shelter under a nearby tiki hut.
However, the decision nearly cost them their lives when lightning struck the structure.
“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,” said Danielle Sturgill, one of the survivors.
The lightning did not strike the women directly but hit the tiki hut, sending a powerful ground current through the sand beneath them. All four were knocked unconscious immediately.
When they regained consciousness, the women discovered various injuries.
Rebecca Johnson experienced temporary hearing and vision problems along with significant bruising.
“I completely fell backwards. Like, it’s just like it knocked me completely out. Like, I went unconscious,” Johnson recounted of the harrowing experience.
Kelli Bryant faced even more frightening symptoms. “When I first woke up, I couldn’t feel my legs at all. They were completely numb,” she reported.
“When I picked myself up off the ground, I looked at Becky and I said, ‘what in the world just happened to us?'” said Taylor Sturgill, another of the women struck.
All four women were hospitalized but miraculously survived with only minor injuries.
Their brush with death came during Lightning Safety Awareness Week and just one day after a 29-year-old Colorado man died from a lightning strike at New Smyrna Beach elsewhere in Florida.
Safety experts warn that beaches are the second-deadliest location for lightning strikes in America, with 32 beach-related lightning deaths since 2006.
Despite their traumatic experience, the Kentucky women commemorated their survival.
“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.
Experts warn that lightning can strike up to 25 miles away from storms. Still, many tourists remain unaware that structures like tiki huts offer zero protection from these deadly natural forces.
