“Lightning storms are routinely encountered in the Florida maritime environment and can pose a significant hazard to boaters,” Lt. David McKinley, a Coast Guard pilot, said in a statement. “Fortunately, the boaters in this case were well prepared with all necessary safety equipment including an EPIRB, flares, and a marine VHF radio to ensure a quick and efficient rescue.”
The owner of the boat is now working with commercial salvage to recover the vessel, the Coast Guard noted.
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Two boat passengers, Glenn Rumer and his sister, Sherrie Kelley,spoke with theTodayshowafter the scary situation, where they recalled exactly what went down.
Ayla Hudson/U.S. Coast Guard District 7
“Every second there was lightning,” Kelley said, as Rumer echoed “I’ve had lightning around me in the past, but nothing like this. This was something that I’ve never experienced.”
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Explaining that “there was only one way to go, and that was through the storm,” Rumer said the part of the boat that was struck ended up on fire, leaving them without electricity and “completely dead in the water.”
“I love them all, they’re all angels,” Rumer toldToday. “But we had God as backing and he blessed us. Everybody is safe at home, and nobody [is] hurt.”
source: people.com
