BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A child was rushed to the hospital on trauma alert Sunday afternoon after being struck by lightning near Boynton Beach. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office says the teen was taken to Delray Medical Center and is in critical but stable condition.
Firefighters with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue say crews were dispatched around 2:30 p.m. to the 2000 block of NW 20th Avenue, between NW 22nd and NW 23rd streets, after a 911 caller reported someone had been struck by lightning. The address provided by Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue is in the Sand & Sea Village Mobile Home Park. The Sand & Sea Village Community Manager declined comment.
A resident there says about 20 boys were outside playing soccer when one of them was struck by lightning.
“I got back from church at 1:30. I was in my room. I was tired. I heard the boom. It made me jump in my bed. I thought a war was startin’. It was so loud it made me jump,” said Stephanie Monahan, who says she has lived at Sand & Sea Village for 15 years.
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When crews arrived, they found a child who met pediatric trauma alert criteria receiving first aid from bystanders.
“It scared me. I thought a war was started. That’s how loud it was. It was like a cannonball. There was three right after one another,” Monahan said. “Three lightning bolts?” we asked her. “One, pow, pow that made me jump and there was another one and then another one,” she said.
The child was quickly transported by ground to a trauma center. No other injuries were reported.
A woman and her two-year-old daughter were killed in a lightning strike in Margate in Broward County Sunday afternoon.
“It’s gonna be tough to lose somebody that I’ve been with for half my life,” said Kameron Glasgow, the victim’s husband.
Kameron Glasgow says they had just arrived at a relative’s house for dinner Sunday afternoon when his wife, Kenya Glasgow, 31, and her two year old daughter Kennedy were struck by a fatal lightning bolt while standing in the driveway.
“I got the actual aftershock from the ground. By the grace of God I’m still here,” he said.
The two year old girl who died is survived by her twin sister.
“For her to lose her twin sister, words can’t describe that feeling ’cause I know she can’t even fathom it right now,” Glasgow said, crying as he spoke.
Florida is considered the lightning capital of the U.S.
One expert says the best way to stay safe is if you hear thunder get indoors quickly.
“Lightning can strike about 10 miles or so away from the center of a thunderstorm. So if you can hear the thunder, you’re close enough to be struck by lightning,” said Lauren Olesky, CBS12 News Meteorologist.
The National Weather Service says so far this year, four people in Florida have been killed by lightning strikes.