Mountain Photo Shoot Turns into Horror Show After Lightning Strike

A bridal photo shoot turned into a nasty experience after lightning struck near a group of people, and several of them required hospital treatment.

Brianna Pendley from Marion, North Carolina, was taking photos in Carvers Gap on Roan Mountain near the Tennessee state line when a sunny day suddenly made way for a vicious hailstorm, and the party took shelter beneath woodland.

“We were there and we were huddled together looking at each other and kinda laughing about what was going on because the weather was nice five minutes before. And it was like a millisecond, and we were on the ground screaming,” Pendley tells WCOS-TV.

Pendley says there was no warning, as there was no thunder, and believes the lightning struck a nearby tree and electricity traveled along the ground. The photographer was with her son, Landry, who was assisting. He and another person had welts on their legs and so they went to an emergency room. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries.

“It’s so unpredictable,” Pendley tells WCOS-TV. “It happened like that. The storm was over in five minutes, and I don’t know if I’m going to be much of a hiker after that.”

The photographer says she saw a loud, bright flash and recalled seeing the ground smoking and dirt flying up. But it happened extremely quickly.

“The ER doctor told me that we were lucky to be alive because something like this normally ends in less fortunate outcomes, so we are truly counting our blessings today,” Pendley writes on Facebook.

When faced with a lightning storm like that, 911 assistant director Chris White tells WCOS-TV that it is important to stay away from trees and get off any ridges.

“Get down in a crouch position with the balls of your feet touching the ground,” White says. “Have as limited contact with the ground as you can and put your heels together. Put some more rubber insulation between the two.”

If at all possible, get inside a building or a vehicle. Failing that, get as low down as possible for safety.

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.