8 people are injured by lightning at Florida Beach

Clearwater, Fla. — A lightning strike at Clearwater Beach Sunday,  injured eight people and sent four to the hospital.

One man in his 40’s was directly hit and went into cardiac arrest. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

The bolt hit the beach about 15 minutes after lifeguards in the area left their stands due “to bad weather in the area.”

Witnesses say they saw several people fall or be thrown to the ground when the strike happened.

Three people refused treatment at the scene, but several others were taken to local hospitals, one person was treated for burns.

So far in 2019, eight people have been killed by lightning, one in Florida when a motorcyclist was hit while riding on I-95.

Lifeguards warn people to heed the phrase, “If you hear the roar, go indoors.”