Lightning Strike Knocks Four Women Unconscious on Florida Beach During Storm

Lightning strikes near a beach in Naples, Florida

A Florida beach vacation nearly turned fatal when a lightning strike knocked four women from Kentucky unconscious while they sought shelter from an approaching thunderstorm on Marco Island.

The incident occurred Saturday along Florida’s Gulf Coast as the group of friends took cover beneath a small tiki hut after storm sirens warned of incoming severe weather.

“The siren went off, and we knew there was a storm coming,” said Danielle Sturgill, one of the women struck by lightning. “The nearest thing to us was a little tiki hut, and that’s where we decided to take shelter.”

A bystander captured dramatic footage of the lightning strike hitting the beach just as the women took cover. All four were rendered unconscious by the strike. Emergency responders transported the victims to a local hospital, where they were treated for minor injuries.

“When I first woke up, I couldn’t feel my legs at all. They were completely numb,” recalled Kelli Bryant, another member of the group.

The frightening episode came just one day after a separate lightning tragedy in Florida, in which a 29-year-old man from Colorado was killed by a lightning strike while on his honeymoon at New Smyrna Beach, about 45 miles northeast of Orlando.

Volusia County officials expressed condolences. “At 29 years old, he should have had many more anniversaries with her for years to come,” said Sheriff Mike Chitwood.

According to the National Lightning Safety Council (NLSC), the United States has recorded four lightning-related fatalities so far in 2025. The council notes that beach activities are the second-deadliest cause of lightning fatalities, following only fishing. Since 2006, lightning strikes have killed 32 people at beaches nationwide.

The incident occurred during Lightning Safety Awareness Week, an annual campaign launched in 2001 to raise awareness about the dangers of lightning strikes during summer months. Most lightning-related injuries and deaths in the U.S. occur in June, July, and August.

Since the campaign began, lightning-related deaths have dropped from an average of 55 per year to approximately 20 annually—a reduction attributed to increased public awareness and proactive safety measures.