A Florida couple were walking hand in hand when lightning struck them, but both survived after a group of quick-thinking Good Samaritans rushed to their aid.
Aaron Walenga, 48, and his wife of 17 years, Clare, 43, had just dropped their children off at church when they began walking along the West Orange Trail in central Florida on Sept. 2, WHSV reported.
The couple were hit by the lightning bolt despite hearing no warning signs of an approaching storm. Clare required CPR at the scene, while Aaron was later hospitalized. Both survived the near-fatal incident, which they credit to four members of a weekly running group who happened to be nearby.
“There were so many miracles that we witnessed, from Clare being brought back to life to the four of you being there on that trail at that time,” Aaron said Saturday.
Aaron and Clare Walenga were struck by lightning as they walked along the trail, even though they had not heard thunder or noticed other indications that a storm was developing.
Charlotte Sachetti Weyand and Amber McManus were close by when the lightning struck. They immediately called 911 and began seeking help.
Michael Weyand noticed that Clare’s skin had turned blue and realized she needed urgent medical attention. He started performing life-saving measures.
“I’ve never seen anybody that color in my life before,” he told WKEG.
“I checked to see if she was breathing, and she wasn’t.”
“Instinctively, I started CPR, which instinctively is not something I do every day,” he told WHSV.
“I’ve never done CPR before in my life. But in that moment, I knew I had to start.”
Aaron, whose wife is a mother of three, was in too much pain to reach Clare or help with the rescue effort.
“I wanted to get to Clare, and I just couldn’t get up,” he told WKEG.
“I couldn’t really move, and I was in the worst pain of my life.”
The group continued chest compressions on Clare. She took a “massive breath” just before mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was about to begin.
“I don’t know how to describe the feeling,” Tiffany Roby, who was also at the scene, said.
Clare and Aaron, who live in Apopka, were taken to the hospital. Clare suffered a concussion, while Aaron sustained bruising to his face.
The couple said they were deeply grateful to the Good Samaritans whose actions helped save Clare’s life.
“There were so many miracles that we witnessed, from Clare being brought back to life to the four of you being there on that trail at that time,” Aaron said.
“The gift of life that we have is just so beautiful,” Clare said.
A fundraiser was created for the couple and more than $65,000 has been raised.
Relatives said on Sept. 4 that Clare had made “significant progress” just two days on from the lightning strike.
“We have seen God answer so many prayers, and Clare and Aaron have come a long way in such a short amount of time,” they said.
“We remain hopeful and thankful as they continue on the road to recovery.”
The odds of being struck by lightning each year are less than one in a million, and almost 90% of lightning strike victims survive, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention says.
But there have been a string of lightning-related fatalities in recent months.
Earlier this month Matthew Jenkins, 20, died after being struck by lightning – days after moving to Florida to attend the Disney College Program.
Utah dad Steve Matheson was struck helping some Florida boaters that had gotten into difficulty while at sea – before he died of his injuries.
Last month, Florida mom Kenya Glasgow, 31, and her daughter, Kennedi, 2, were struck by lightning in front of their husband and dad.
