Teenager dies while seeking shelter under lightning-struck banyan tree in downtown St. Pete
St. Petersburg, Florida. – A 16-year-old girl has died nearly a month after a tree she was standing under with three of her friends was struck by lightning.
Joseph King told FOX 13 that his daughter Ashley died early Monday morning despite 24-hour care from doctors and nurses.
King said his daughter’s body could not cope with the brain damage she suffered.
Ashley King’s father said she died Monday morning, nearly a month after she was found standing under a tree struck by lightning in downtown St. Petersburg. Image courtesy of Joseph King.
According to the St. Petersburg Fire Department, on July 25 at around 5:45 p.m., emergency responders went to the corner of 3rd Avenue and Beach Drive where they found two teenagers lying on the ground. First responders added that two teenagers approached them and said they were also injured.
READ: Lightning strikes: Bay Area doctor explains effects of lightning strike on a person
Passersby told FOX 13 that they heard loud thunder and lightning and almost immediately saw a flood of ambulances and fire trucks rushing to the scene.
First responders said that when they arrived, two teenagers were lying on the ground and two more were able to come to them and say they needed help.
“From what we understand, it struck the tree, which is obviously a very large tree,” said Richard Gomolak, chief of operations for the St. Petersburg Fire Department. “The trees there are pretty old. Most of us have been in that area and know how big they actually are. So any impact in that area, along with the rain and the wet ground, can create a problem. So we don’t believe it was a direct impact on any particular person, but we believe it struck the area and that created a problem.”
WATCH: Possible lightning strike causes sparks and earth explosion outside Florida home
Three of the teens were in stable condition at Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital in St. Pete or John’s Hopkins All Children’s Hospital after the lightning strike. Gomolak said some of the teens suffered minor burns.
What happens to the body after a lightning strike?
Doctors spoke to FOX 13’s Briona Arradondo and described how the high voltage of a lightning strike affects the chemistry of the human body.
However, Ashley, a rising junior at Hollins High School, was in critical condition after her father said she went into cardiac arrest for 15 minutes while being treated, adding that paramedics were able to take a pulse when they reached Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital.
Video: Lightning strike topples tree and rips bark off during storm Valrico
She was later transferred to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, where she died a few weeks later.
Ashley King was a rising junior at Hollins High School. Image courtesy of Joseph King.
Shortly after the lightning strike occurred, King said he wanted to let people know that hiding under a tree during a storm was not a good idea.
“Obviously, we live in Florida. We’re very aware of how quickly the storms are approaching and how quickly they can reach us, but we take the threat seriously because people are getting struck by lightning. It’s very serious, and I think we’re lucky. A lot of people take that for granted,” Gomolak said.
Gomolak and Fox 13 FOX 13 Chief Meteorologist Paul Dellegatto said: If you hear thunder, you should assume there is lightning in the area and seek shelter.
“Lightning can strike seven to ten miles from the actual storm, so even if you see a storm in the distance, if you hear the thunder, you are technically at risk of being struck,” Dellegatto said.
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
