WINTER PARK, Fla. \u2013 A Winter Park family is describing a terrifying close call with lightning that left them shaken and sent all three to the hospital.<\/p>\n
Evgenia Pamer says she, her husband and their 5-year-old son were walking near Lake Baldwin Wednesday evening when the weather suddenly changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt sounded like an explosion,\u201d Pamer said.<\/p>\n
The family had started their walk while watching a beautiful sunset. Moments later, they heard what sounded like a tree cracking and saw sparks on the ground.<\/p>\n
Pamer says the lightning struck no more than 20 feet away.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy hair was all standing up. I could feel the static. I tasted iron, blood in my mouth,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Pamer says her husband experienced similar symptoms. He has an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, or ICD, because of a previous heart condition.<\/p>\n
After the family reached a safe location, Pamer says her husband began feeling dizzy and nearly fainted. She says she experienced ear pain, shaking, nausea and a severe headache.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just didn\u2019t feel like myself,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
All three family members went to the hospital, where they had their heart rates checked. Pamer says she and her son were fine, but doctors kept a closer watch on her husband after tests showed heightened heart activity.<\/p>\n
Pamer says the experience has left her traumatized and urges others to take storms seriously.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything you do, make sure you have a plan. Have a plan A, plan B. If it rains, this is what I\u2019m going to do. If it storms, this is what I\u2019m going to do,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The National Weather Service advises people to move indoors when they hear thunder and never use trees as shelter.<\/p>\n
When thunder roars, head indoors.<\/p>\n
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