Passing strangers rescue Florida couple struck by lightning on hiking trail

← Back to the feed

Passing strangers rescue Florida couple struck by lightning on hiking trail

Daily Mail · 2 hours ago

A Florida couple were found unresponsive on an isolated hiking trail in Winter Garden after apparently being struck by lightning while holding hands, prompting a dramatic rescue by passing strangers who performed CPR until paramedics arrived. Aaron Walenga, 48, a former US Air Force member who now teaches at Foundation Academy, and his wife Clare, 43, who works in the school's admissions office, were walking on 2 September while their three children attended a church youth group nearby. The school's tight-knit community, where the couple work and their children study, has rallied around them as they recover.

The incident occurred on an isolated trail with no other walkers nearby, and school president Dr Jeff Lawrence said the three unidentified good Samaritans who found the couple and began CPR effectively saved their lives, describing the outcome as "divine intervention". Aaron was reported to be conscious and talking, though in pain, while Clare, initially unresponsive, later had her breathing tube removed. A fundraiser set up by a parent had raised almost $54,000 by Tuesday, with the couple expressing gratitude for the support from their school, church and wider community.

  • Florida couple struck by lightning while hiking hand-in-hand
  • Strangers found them unresponsive and performed life-saving CPR
  • Both survived; school community raised nearly $54,000 for them

Entertainment Music World

Read the full article at the source →

Originally published by Daily Mail as “Miracle survival as loving husband and wife hit by freak lightning strike found unresponsive by good Samaritans on Florida hiking trail”.