Florida Couple Survives Lightning Strike Thanks to Strangers

When Aaron and Clare Walenga dropped their kids at church on September 2, they never imagined their morning walk would end with a lightning strike that almost took both their lives.

The couple was strolling hand in hand along the West Orange Trail in central Florida when a bolt hit them without warning. No thunder. No storm sounds. Just a sudden strike that left Clare, 43, unconscious and Aaron, 48, writhing in pain on the ground.

Aaron desperately wanted to help his wife of 17 years, but the pain kept him frozen. "I wanted to get to Clare, and I just couldn't get up," he said. "I was in the worst pain of my life."

That's when four members of a weekly running club became the heroes this couple needed. Charlotte Sachetti Weyand and Amber McManus immediately called 911 while Michael Weyand rushed to Clare's side.

Her skin had turned blue. She wasn't breathing. Michael had never performed CPR before in his life, but he didn't hesitate. "Instinctually I started CPR," he told reporters. "In that moment, I knew I had to start."

He gave chest compressions until Clare took what witnesses called a "massive breath" just seconds before he would have started mouth to mouth. Fellow runner Tiffany Roby watched in awe. "I don't know how to describe the feeling," she said.

Both Aaron and Clare survived. She suffered a concussion while he had facial bruising. Just two days later, relatives reported Clare had made "significant progress" in her recovery.

Sunny's Take

The Walengas' gratitude overflows when they talk about that day. "There were so many miracles that we witnessed from Claire being brought back to life to the four of you being there on that trail at that time," Aaron said during an emotional reunion with the runners.

Their community rallied too. A fundraiser has raised over $65,000 to support the couple and their three children during recovery.

The odds of being struck by lightning each year are less than one in a million, and nearly 90% of victims survive. But survival often depends on what happens in those critical first moments.

Michael's instinct to act, despite never having done CPR before, made all the difference. Clare now gets to watch her kids grow up because four strangers refused to panic when it mattered most.

"The gift of life that we have is just so beautiful," Clare said.