A 16-year-old girl has died after she was struck by lightning while hunting with her father in Florida, officials say.
Baylee Holbrook and her father had been hunting on Tuesday when lightning “struck a tree, hitting them,” the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said.
Her father lost consciousness and when he awoke he found his daughter was not breathing.
He called 911 and began CPR, and the teen was transported to HCA Florida Putnam Hospital in Palatka, where she was stabilized enough to be taken to a trauma center. She had been listed in critical condition on Wednesday.
On Thursday, the sheriff’s office said it learned that Baylee had “peacefully passed away” that morning surrounded by her family.
Anyone in the Backcountry or even just outside in the lightning capital of the world should really have an app on their phone that notifies them on nearby strikes. They should also always have a plan to get to safety quickly and be able to identify the storm clouds that are likely to be dangerous. This is about as fundamental to survival in Florida as hurricane preparedness, Alligator avoidance, and mosquito control.