Lightning Strike Hurts Three Children At Indiana Camp

A lightning strike hurt three children at an Indiana camp on Saturday.

The children were in a field when the lightning strike occurred. According to police, one child was critically injured while the other two were in stable condition that afternoon. The three victims included a 12-year-old boy from Ohio, a 9-year-old boy from Kentucky and a 9-year-old girl from Missouri.

It was not raining at the time of the lightning strike and there wasn’t even a storm in the area. Carmen Siegel, a woman who lives near the camp, said that the sky wasn’t even dark that day.

“It’s tragic. I feel so sorry. There’s nothing you could prepare because the sky didn’t even get dark really,” Siegel said.

The director of the camp, Rabbi Mark Covitz, sent out a message after the accident that read: “This Shabbat afternoon, lightning struck URJ Goldman Union Camp. Three campers were injured. Camp personnel and emergency professionals responded quickly. The children were taken to local hospitals and we have spoken with each child’s parents. We are resuming our normal camp schedule, which will include dinner and evening program. Please know, the safety of your children is our highest priority.”

Meteorologist Michael Koch said that it isn’t uncommon for lightning to occur miles away from a thunderstorm. He said that if you are outside during a storm, it’s best to crouch down and avoid trees.

“If you are quite a ways away from being able to get inside and it surprises you, the best thing to do would be to crouch down and make yourself as small as possible,” he said.

According to police, several hundred children stayed at the Reform Jewish summer camp after the lightning strike.

The camp has been around since 1958 and aims to help children grow and mature into responsible Jewish adults.

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