Woman, 2 dogs struck and killed by lightning near Los Angeles
A woman and her two dogs were fatally struck by lightning Wednesday morning while walking in the Los Angeles area, authorities said.
The woman and the pets had been walking along the San Gabriel River during a thunderstorm when they were struck, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department said.
They were found laying in the pathway at about 8:50 a.m. Paramedics responded and attempted CPR, but officials believe they died instantly when hit by the bolt.
The sheriff’s office didn’t release the woman’s identity — pending family notification. However the department said she was a Pico Rivera resident in her 50s.
A summer storm brought rain, thunder and lightning to much of southern California overnight into the morning amid an ongoing heat wave, according to KTLA.
The odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are less than one in a million and only about 10% of all lightning strike victims do not survive, according to the CDC.
