2 Teen-age Girls on Beach Struck, Injured by Lightning
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SANTA CRUZ — Two teen-age girls on a beach were struck by lightning Monday, authorities said.
They were later reported in stable condition at Community Hospital. One had deep tissue damage to a leg and the other had burns on her left side, a spokesman said. The girls were identified only as being 14 and 15 years old and residing in Quincy and Concord.
Deputy Harbor Master Ted Warburton said lightning and thunder ripped through the area about 5 p.m., before a heavy downpour. The girls were close together and running off Twin Lakes Beach to avoid the squall.
“The lightning bolt appeared to hit between them or slightly behind them. It knocked both of the girls down and paralyzed them briefly,” he said.
Warburton, 35, said, “I have lived in California all my life and I’ve never seen lightning energy that intense.”
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