Latest news with #VanessaDiaz
CTV News
10 hours ago
- Climate
- CTV News
12 taken to hospitals after lightning strike at South Carolina lake
LEXINGTON, S.C. — A dozen people were taken to hospitals Tuesday after a lightning strike at a South Carolina lake, officials said. Emergency crews responded to Dominion Beach Park near the Lake Murray Dam and assessed 20 patients, including 12 children, Lexington County officials said in a news release. They treated 18 people on the scene and 12 of them went to hospitals, according to county spokesperson Vanessa Diaz. Their injuries were not considered life-threatening and all of the patients were expected to recover, officials said. Dominion Beach Park was expected to reopen Wednesday following safety assessments and clearance from authorities. The weather was sunny with some clouds nearby, but not overhead when the strike happened, the Irmo Fire District said in a social media post. Lightning hit the water as several people were holding on to or swimming near a metal cable and buoys that surround the swimming area, the agency said. 'Everybody got quite a jolt,' the fire agency said. 'We're so fortunate that injuries were not worse than they were.' Injuries included minor burns, Irmo Fire District spokesperson Sloane Valentino said by telephone. Those who were holding on to the cable had the worst injuries, he said. Meteorologist Matt Gropp with the National Weather Service in Columbia called it 'a bolt from the blue,' noting that people at the lake may not have been aware of a pop-up thunderstorm a few miles to the south. It didn't even rain at the lake, Gropp said. 'It was one of the first strikes of the storm and the people there weren't expecting it,' he said. The Associated Press
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
20 people struck by single lightning bolt at South Carolina beach
A single lighting bolt along a South Carolina beach struck nearly two dozen people on June 24, including 12 children, local officials confirmed. Twenty people were struck by the lightning bolt near the Lake Murray dam in Lexington County, outside the state capital of Columbia, county spokesperson Vanessa Diaz told USA TODAY on June 25. Twelve people visited local hospitals for treatment while six others were assessed by first responders at the scene, Diaz said. All injuries were considered non-life-threatening. No deaths were reported in connection to the strike, which came during National Lightning Safety Awareness week. Officials received a call around 5 p.m. for an electrocution, Diaz said, adding it was a "bright and sunny at the lake, with clouds nearby but not overhead." 'Horrific': Baby found dead in hotel dresser drawer, parents charged 1 year later The patients' ages were not immediately known, but 12 of the victims were children, Diaz said. "The bolt of lightning that hit the water energized a metal cable with buoys on it that surrounds the swimming area," Diaz said. "Several people had swam out to the buoys and were holding onto the cable when it hit, and others were nearby swimming. Everybody got quite a jolt, we're so fortunate that injuries were not worse than they were." Agencies responding to the scene included Lexington County Fire, Irmo Fire, Lexington County EMS and Lexington County Sheriff's Department. Florida death: Man killed by lightning in New Smyrna while on his honeymoon As previously reported by USA TODDAY, here are four ways people are struck by lightning: Conduction: This is the cause of most indoor lightning deaths and injuries. Lightning travels through wires and other metal surfaces Direct strike: The person becomes a part of the main discharge channel, usually when outside in an open area. Side flash: Lightning strikes a tall object and part of the current jumps from the object to the victim − for example, when a person is struck while standing under a tree. Ground current: Lightning enters the body at the point closest to a strike, travels through the body and leaves at the contact point farthest away from the initial strike. This causes most deaths and injuries. A fully enclosed car or truck can be an option of last resort, but don't touch the steering wheel, radio or ignition. Choose the closest large, enclosed space with plumbing and electrical wiring. Don't shelter in unprotected open buildings, such as metal sheds, picnic pavilions, baseball dugouts and porches. If a shelter isn't available, keep moving to search for a safe place. Don't lie down or crouch on the ground. Avoid trees, light poles, metal fences and bleachers. Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver with USA TODAY, and Nina Tran with the Greenville News Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lightning strike hits 20 people at South Carolina beach: Officials
USA Today
11 hours ago
- Climate
- USA Today
20 people struck by single lightning bolt at South Carolina beach
A single lighting bolt along a South Carolina beach struck nearly two dozen people on June 24, including 12 children, local officials confirmed. Twenty people were struck by the lightning bolt near the Lake Murray dam in Lexington County, outside the state capital of Columbia, county spokesperson Vanessa Diaz told USA TODAY on June 25. Twelve people visited local hospitals for treatment while six others were assessed by first responders at the scene, Diaz said. All injuries were considered non-life-threatening. No deaths were reported in connection to the strike, which came during National Lightning Safety Awareness week. Officials received a call around 5 p.m. for an electrocution, Diaz said, adding it was a "bright and sunny at the lake, with clouds nearby but not overhead." 'Horrific': Baby found dead in hotel dresser drawer, parents charged 1 year later 12 victims struck by lighting are children The patients' ages were not immediately known, but 12 of the victims were children, Diaz said. "The bolt of lightning that hit the water energized a metal cable with buoys on it that surrounds the swimming area," Diaz said. "Several people had swam out to the buoys and were holding onto the cable when it hit, and others were nearby swimming. Everybody got quite a jolt, we're so fortunate that injuries were not worse than they were." Agencies responding to the scene included Lexington County Fire, Irmo Fire, Lexington County EMS and Lexington County Sheriff's Department. Florida death: Man killed by lightning in New Smyrna while on his honeymoon How people are struck by lightning As previously reported by USA TODDAY, here are four ways people are struck by lightning: Where can you shelter if caught outside? A fully enclosed car or truck can be an option of last resort, but don't touch the steering wheel, radio or ignition. Choose the closest large, enclosed space with plumbing and electrical wiring. Don't shelter in unprotected open buildings, such as metal sheds, picnic pavilions, baseball dugouts and porches. If a shelter isn't available, keep moving to search for a safe place. Don't lie down or crouch on the ground. Avoid trees, light poles, metal fences and bleachers. Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver with USA TODAY, and Nina Tran with the Greenville News Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund.
Associated Press
11 hours ago
- Climate
- Associated Press
12 taken to hospitals after lightning strike at South Carolina lake
LEXINGTON, S.C. (AP) — A dozen people were taken to hospitals Tuesday after a lightning strike at a South Carolina lake, officials said. Emergency crews responded to Dominion Beach Park near the Lake Murray Dam and assessed 20 patients, including 12 children, Lexington County officials said in a news release. They treated 18 people on the scene and 12 of them went to hospitals, according to county spokesperson Vanessa Diaz. Their injuries were not considered life-threatening and all of the patients were expected to recover, officials said. Dominion Beach Park was expected to reopen Wednesday following safety assessments and clearance from authorities. The weather was sunny with some clouds nearby, but not overhead when the strike happened, the Irmo Fire District said in a social media post. Lightning hit the water as several people were holding on to or swimming near a metal cable and buoys that surround the swimming area, the agency said. 'Everybody got quite a jolt,' the fire agency said. 'We're so fortunate that injuries were not worse than they were.' Injuries included minor burns, Irmo Fire District spokesperson Sloane Valentino said by telephone. Those who were holding on to the cable had the worst injuries, he said. Meteorologist Matt Gropp with the National Weather Service in Columbia called it 'a bolt from the blue,' noting that people at the lake may not have been aware of a pop-up thunderstorm a few miles to the south. It didn't even rain at the lake, Gropp said. 'It was one of the first strikes of the storm and the people there weren't expecting it,' he said.
12 hours ago
- Climate
20 people injured in lightning strike while swimming at South Carolina beach
Twenty people were injured by a reported lightning strike while swimming at a beach in South Carolina, officials said. The incident occurred at approximately 5 p.m. on Tuesday, when multiple agencies responded to a "reported electrocution" due to lightning at Dominion Beach Park near the Lake Murray Dam in Lexington County, South Carolina, officials said in a press release. When first responders arrived on the scene, 20 patients -- eight adults and 12 juveniles -- had been injured by the strike, officials said. Eighteen of those individuals were treated at the scene, while 12 were sent to three local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, Vanessa Diaz, the public information officer for Lexington County, told ABC News in a statement. All of the patients are expected to recover, officials said. When the strike occurred, it was a "bright and sunny day" at the lake, but then a bolt of lightning hit the water and "energized a metal cable with buoys on it that surrounds the swimming area," the Irmo Fire District said in a statement. "Lightning can strike far away from a cloud. It doesn't seem logical but a few hundred of us are believers today," the fire district said. Several people had swam out to the buoys and were holding the cable when the lightning hit, with others nearby in the water, the fire district said. "Everybody got quite a jolt, we're so fortunate that injuries were not worse than they were," the fire district said. Dominion Beach Park is expected to reopen on Wednesday "following safety assessments and clearance from authorities," Lexington County officials said. This week is Lightning Safety Awareness Week, which began in 2001 "in order to call attention to lightning being an underrated killer," according to the National Weather Service. So far this year, there have been four reported deaths from lightning strikes in the U.S., according to the National Lightning Safety Council.
