WINTER GARDEN, Fla. (WSVN) — Newly released body camera video captured the heart-stopping moments when crews came to the rescue of a couple who was struck by lightning in Central Florida.
Winter Garden Police rushed to help Aaron and Clare Walenga after they were struck while walking along a trail in Winter Garden on Sept. 2.
Officers found Aaron Walenga sprawled on the ground, grunting in pain and barely able to respond to first responders. His wife was laying next to him, initially unresponsive.
Witnesses said the strike was so loud, they initially thought a fence had been hit.
The Walengas were two of three people struck by lightning within a week in Central Florida.
Investigators said 20-year-old Matthew Jenkins was struck by lightning and killed last Tuesday while walking along a trail in Celebration. His death marks the sixth lightning-related death in Florida this year.
According to the National Weather Service, Florida is a lightning hot spot. Officials warn that every storm can turn dangerous.
“We need to recognize lightning as a threat, because it doesn’t matter whether it’s the first, the only or the last lightning strike,” said Will Ulrich with the National Weather Service. “Every cloud-to-ground lightning strike is capable of injuring or killing someone.”
Lightning has killed 15 people across the United States so far this year, with six of those cases here in Florida. Experts advise anyone who hears thunder to go indoors immediately.
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