Florida Couple Survives Lightning Strike After Strangers Rush to Save Them

A Florida couple is recovering after being struck by lightning during an evening walk, with four strangers rushing to help when they found the pair injured on a trail.

Aaron and Clare Walenga were walking hand in hand along the West Orange Trail in Winter Garden, Florida, on September 2 after dropping their three children off at a church youth-group gathering. The couple had planned to have dinner and take their usual walk together.

Aaron said he had noticed a storm developing several miles away, but neither he nor Clare could see lightning or hear thunder when they decided to start walking back toward their car.

Then, without warning, lightning struck the couple.

Aaron was knocked to the ground and temporarily could not move his limbs. Clare was unconscious and had stopped breathing. Witnesses who were nearby immediately called emergency services and ran toward them.

Four strangers — Charlotte Sachetti Weyand, Michael Sachetti Weyand, Amber McManus and Tiffany Roby — worked together to help the couple before emergency crews arrived.

Michael checked Clare for a pulse and began performing CPR. Another rescuer searched for a street sign so emergency responders could locate the couple quickly, while others stayed with Aaron and Clare.

Clare appeared blue and was not breathing. The rescuers continued their efforts until she suddenly took a deep breath. Police and paramedics arrived shortly afterward and transported both victims to hospital.

The injuries were serious. Aaron suffered facial injuries, burns and a brain bleed. Clare was placed on a ventilator and suffered heart damage, a brain bleed and temporary memory problems.

But their condition improved rapidly. Clare regained consciousness the following morning, and her short-term memory gradually returned. The couple spent only several days in hospital before continuing their recovery at home.

In the weeks following the incident, the Walengas reunited with the four strangers who had helped them. The families have remained in contact, and the rescuers have become friends with the couple they helped that night.

Aaron and Clare have also said they plan to eventually return to the trail where the incident happened.

For the couple, the experience has left them particularly grateful for the strangers who stopped during a dangerous situation and immediately tried to help.

“We’re just seeing miracle after miracle,” Clare said in an interview about their recovery.
Sources:
WSVN – Winter Garden couple struck by lightning speak out
West Orange Times & Observer – Couple recovers after lightning strike
AccuWeather – Bodycam shows dramatic rescue
Fox News – Florida couple recounts lightning-strike rescue