Israel frequently faces threats from the skies, but rarely in the form of weather. Tuesday proved that "rare" doesn't mean "never" when five members of an Israeli family who spending the first weekday of the Sukkot festival at Zikim Beach on Israel's southern coast were hit by lightning in the afternoon. One was listed in critical condition.
Magen David Adom paramedics had to resuscitate two of the family members at the scene. They were reportedly unconscious and not breathing when the first responders arrived.
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A 14-year-old boy was listed in critical condition. A woman in her 30s was listed in serious but stable condition and was in an induced coma and on a respirator. Another young man about 20 was in serious but stable condition. Two other members of the family sustained light to moderate injuries in the lightning strike.
MDA paramedic Keren Slobodnik said that when the first responders arrived, they saw two of the victims lying on the beach, unconscious. A third, she said, was "conscious but disoriented."
"The MDA team that was nearby started working to resuscitate the two who were unconscious, not breathing, and without a pulse. As soon as we arrived, we continued trying to revive the two. The heartbeat of one was restored, and we are now trying to resuscitate the other youth," Slobodnik said.
Eyewitness Guy Shlepkov, who also tried to help the injured parties, said the lighting strike was "quick and amazing."
"There weren't a lot of people on the beach. Suddenly, there was a really strong 'boom.' It's really lucky there were a few people and they called for help and started helping the injured. I ran to the lifeguard's booth and asked them to get help urgently. A few people helped out with first aid. A woman who had been hit [by the lightning] was complaining she couldn't move her legs," Shlepkov said.
Magen David Adom spokesman Zaki Heller characterized the incident as "serious and unusual."
Thunderstorms, as well as sandstorms, were being reported throughout southern Israel, from Ashkelon to Beersheba.
According to National Geographic, approximately 10% of lightning strike victims are killed, while 70% suffer long-term injuries. Some 400 people in the US survive being hit by lightning every year.
