Fowler Associates Labs

Florida Students Struck by Lightning

Paraphrased by
Steve Waldrop
August 27, 2004

Four Orange County Florida students were struck by lightning as they walked home from school during a thunderstorm.

The three girls and one boy had just exited a school bus on Hawthorne Groves Boulevard near Good Homes Road when they were struck by lighting.

The children were seeking shelter from the storm under a tree. Witnesses said one the children was holding a metal umbrella moments before the lightning strike.

Witnesses said they saw a bright light and then as many as six children fall to the ground

"One (child) was on the ground and she was limp," witness William Lane said. "Another one, her body was real, real tense like she was paralyzed."

The four students were transported to a local hospital and treated for their injuries. One child remains in critical condition. The others were treated and released.