Some beach-goers were met by some unwanted forces of nature yesterday. A rare summer thunderstorm crashed over Southern California yesterday killing one, and injuring many.
One of the biggest sites hit was the world-famous Venice Beach. A 20-year-old swimmer was killed after being struck by lightning during the storm. His name has yet to be released, but it’s been reported that he was taken to the hospital and died there Sunday afternoon.
The storm did not target swimmers alone. Others, enjoying the sand and the boardwalk were struck too. Those in the water fled quickly after lightning struck the water around 2 p.m. Sunday. Thirteen people were struck on the Venice Beach boardwalk. A 15-year-old boy is in critical condition from his injuries. Nine others have been hospitalized. The storm was massive, with victims stretching as far as Santa Catalina Island to Redondo Beach, CA.
[Image: KCBS/KCAL]
Witnesses say that the scene yesterday was chaotic. One person described it as a scene from the movie, Jaws. People were screaming and running as if a shark was spotted.
Beach-goer Stuart Acher, who was struck, described his unusual experience with playing volleyball on the beach. He told KABC-TV:
“We went about our game and then all of a sudden, there was a big flash of light and a boom, and it felt like someone punched me in the back of my head. It went down my whole side of my right body, and my calves sort of locked up, and I fell over. And I looked up and everybody else was, you know, falling over.”
The storm was not predicted yesterday, and many said it came out of nowhere. An autopsy is underway for the swimmer that died to determine the cause of death. Other victims struck by lightning remain hospitalized.
[Image: Reuters]