A sudden lightning strike at a New Jersey archery range left one man dead and 13 others injured, including several children.
On Wednesday (July 16) at the Black Knight Bowbenders archery range in Jackson Township, where a local Boy Scouts troop was gathered for an outdoor lesson, a bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree.
The explosion sent debris flying and knocked several people to the ground.
“There was no sign of a storm,” says volunteer instructor Gene Grodzki, who witnessed the strike.
“It was insanely loud, and the earth … like the earth exploded and it was dirt flying, flying everywhere. When it hit and I turned around, it was at least seven, maybe eight people on the ground flat,” he tells ABC 7.
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A 61-year-old male instructor died from his injuries. Emergency crews performed CPR on him at the scene before transporting the group to local hospitals.
The 13 injured — a mix of adults and minors — were reported to have suffered non-life-threatening injuries, including burns and general unwellness, and all were transferred to the hospital as a precaution.
Jackson Township Mayor Michael Reina called it a “tragedy” and confirmed CPR was also performed on at least one survivor.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family and all those injured tonight. It’s difficult to understand what happened,” he tells ABC 7.
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New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy also responded with a statement on X, calling it a “tragic incident.”
According to the National Weather Service, at least 11 people have been killed by lightning in the U.S. this year.
The average is around 20 annually, with hundreds more injured. Survivors often suffer long-term neurological damage.
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