Lightning Strikes Men On R.I. Beach
One Man Suffers Critical Injuries

POSTED: 12:23 pm EDT August 11, 2004
UPDATED: 1:21 pm EDT August 11, 2004

NARRAGANSETT, R.I. -- Lightning struck two men during their fishing trip in Jerusalem early Wednesday morning. One of the victims is in critical condition.


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Audio: Witness Rex Santerre Describes What He Saw
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The men were struck at about 6:30 a.m. as storms swept across southern New England. One man is from Connecticut; the other is from California.

The men were fishing on a jetty at East Matunuck State Beach after they left their cottage in Jerusalem. They started back to the beach when they saw and heard a thunderstorm approaching from the west.

Rex Santerre, of Thompson, Conn., whose family has summer home at the beach, was laying in bed when he saw the flash.

"Once the thunder passed, I heard a guy screaming and flailing his arms, 'Help, help, help.' I dialed 911, and he then went to try CPR," Santerre said.

The men, whose names were not immediately released, were taken to South County Hospital.

One was treated and released. The other is in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

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I hope the guy pulls through, it doesn't sound too good.

What a shame. That is a particularly bad spot for some reason. I have no idea why. Many times , as the storm rolls in but way before its overhead (you can see it coming for miles there), the static in the air builds up to an incredible level out on the wall and surroundings. I have gotten shocks and sometimes even a crack sound off the static that builds up on a graphite rod out on that wall when a T storm is moving in. You can almost feel your hair raising do to static.
Best of luck to the injured fisherman.

We're getting some doozies here in NY.

I was at the hospital when that guy came in... when I was walking out of the emergency room to grab my car, I had to walk through the guys family who was standing outside the room he was in... to see the looks on thier faces while dealing with possible death, then to feel my emotions of a new life were pretty strange.