ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — The Independence Day celebrations at Dolphin Beach Resort took a terrifying turn when lightning hit several people enjoying the beach.
Responding to the emergency at 12:19 p.m., officials from the St. Pete Beach Fire Department confirmed that three family members—a teenage girl and two adults—had been struck by lightning.
According to authorities, the three were under an umbrella when the lightning strike occurred.
Of the three, two adults were treated on scene and refused medical treatment. The 17-year-old girl was sent to Tampa General Hospital.
“We knew it was going to rain, but we didn’t think it was going to get this bad,” said Andrew Faiella of St. Petersburg.
Faiella told News Channel 8 it’s common for him to head to the beach on the Fourth of July and this year he continued that tradition with friends.
While swimming in the water, he said he could hear thunder from afar.
“I started to swim into shore and then me [and] my friends are washing up, and then we hear boom, lightning strike right next to us,” Faiella said.
Those at the beach began running into the parking lot to find coverage inside their cars.
“I consider myself very fortunate, especially being the furthest out in the sea,” Faiella shared. “It easily could have been me or one of my buddies.”
Other beach goers were also struck by lightning, though uninjured, they tell News Channel 8, it was a feeling they have never felt before.
“I literally felt it rushed all the way down my body,” said LA Mejias of Woodbridge, Virginia. “I’ve never had a situation like that before.”
Meijas was continuing his yearly family tradition of heading to Dolphins Beach Resort for the Independence Day holiday.
“This is like our 30-year tradition [by] coming here… my whole family lives down here,” Mejias said. “Usually, we’re well organized when it comes to dealing with the rain because we’ve been doing it for so long.”
Mejias invited his best friend, Kirez Bost, of Woodbridge, Virginia, to this year’s family gathering and he too was struck as he felt the impact both in his hand and middle of his chest.
“I usually have fun, but today I was pretty anxious,” Bost said. ” And seeing everybody else panic too… we were trying to keep each other calm and make sure everybody else is OK in the process [while] making sure we got in the car safely.”
According to the National Weather Service, no place is considered safe outside when there are thunderstorms.
Once thunder is heard, it is close enough to strike, making it best to immediately move to shelter such as a substantial building with electricity and plumbing or a car that is metal-topped and closed.
