A family of three was struck by lightning on St. Pete Beach, Florida, authorities said.
St. Pete Beach Deputy Fire Chief Adam Poirrier said emergency crews arrived within three minutes of the first emergency call on Thursday.
“The lightning was going crazy,” said Isaac Martin, who was at the beach during the storm.
Scanner audio captured the tense conditions, with one responder warning: “We’re having active lightning strikes in the area. We recommend all responders enter their vehicles if they’re not actively involved in patient care.”
Poirrier said multiple units responded and treated two adults at the scene. They declined further medical care. A 17-year-old girl was taken to Tampa General Hospital. Her condition was not immediately released.
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Elsewhere on the beach, Kyree Mejias and his family were celebrating the Fourth of July under their tent — a tradition 30 years in the making — when they felt a nearby lightning strike.
“People were starting to feel a different shock inside their bodies,” Mejias said. “Like my uncle, for example, had it from his face down to his arm.”
Martin and his girlfriend sheltered at a beach bar for more than an hour. When they returned, he said they learned someone had been struck nearby.
“I’ve never seen or heard of anybody getting struck by lightning personally,” he said. “That was right down the road — like a six-minute walk from where I was at. So it’s kind of crazy.”
