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<\/a>ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. \u2014<\/p>\nAn Orange County private school community is showing support for the husband and wife who were injured by a lightning strike in Winter Garden on Wednesday night. <\/p>\n
Aaron and Clare Walenga work at the Foundation Academy in Winter Garden, where their three children are students in the Upper School. <\/p>\n
The Foundation Academy president told WESH 2 the couple is on their road to recovery thanks to the three Good Samaritans who stopped to help them on the West Orange Trail. <\/p>\n
“They’re alive,\u201d Dr. Jeff Lawrence said, \u201cwe have a lot to be grateful for.” <\/p>\n
Aaron and Clare Walenga remained in the hospital Friday afternoon. <\/p>\n
“I’m a native,\u201d Dr. Lawrence said. \u201cI’ve never known somebody who was actually struck by lightning.” <\/p>\n
Mr. Walenga teaches leadership in the Upper School. He\u2019s also a lacrosse and golf coach. His wife works for admissions. <\/p>\n
“It’s two of our staff members who we dearly love,\u201d Dr. Lawrence said. \u201cThese are wonderful people. And so, obviously concerned, began to pray.” <\/p>\n
He said he rushed to Orlando Regional Medical Center on Wednesday when he found out about the lightning strike. <\/p>\n
“(Aaron) was awake and talking,\u201d Dr. Lawrence said. \u201cHe was in pain, obviously, beaten up just a little bit, but we were really concerned about Clare because she was unresponsive earlier.” <\/p>\n
A few hours later, Dr. Lawrence said they got a positive update about Clare. <\/p>\n
“We got news that they were going to be removing the breathing tube,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd that’s a miracle.” <\/p>\n
Dr. Lawrence said he\u2019s spoken with the three Good Samaritans who called 911 and stepped in to help. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf she’s not breathing, we need to start CPR, so I need to know,\u201d the dispatcher said on the 911 call. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re doing CPR,\u201d the caller replied. \u201cYeah, she’s not breathing. We are doing CPR. We’re doing compressions.” <\/p>\n
Dr. Lawrence said he believes this was divine intervention. <\/p>\n
“If they hadn’t have stopped earlier, just stopped and waited for a moment and kept going, I don’t know when we would have found them because there was nobody else out on the trail,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd so, them coming back, they literally saved Clare’s life.” <\/p>\n
According to the Winter Garden police incident report, “Aaron informed the officer the fact that he remembered holding hands with (Clare) before both were struck by lightning.” <\/p>\n
“That just shows who they are,\u201d Dr. Lawrence said. \u201cThey have a deep love, deep faithfulness to one another, and you know it would not be uncommon to see them embracing and walking down the trail.” <\/p>\n