Lexington, South Carolina, was the scene of a terrifying incident on Tuesday, June 24, as a single lightning bolt struck a group of 20 people, including 12 children, at Dominion Beach Park, near the Dreher Shoals Dam. The event unfolded around 4:43 p.m. local time, just minutes after the National Weather Service in Columbia issued a Special Weather Statement warning of a strong thunderstorm moving into western Lexington County with lightning and wind gusts up to 50 mph.
According to officials from Lexington County and the Irmo Fire Department, the lightning bolt hit the water, traveling through a metal cable with floating buoys that outlines the park’s swimming zone. At the time of the strike, several swimmers, including children, were either holding onto the cable or swimming close to it.
Emergency responders confirmed that eight adults and 12 children were affected. Initially, 18 people, including all the children, were believed to have been transported to hospitals. That figure was later revised to 12 individuals sent to three different medical centers for treatment. All victims are expected to survive, though the extent of their injuries has not been detailed publicly.
The Irmo Fire Department described the moment as shocking: “Everybody got quite a jolt, we’re so fortunate that injuries weren’t more severe,” said one spokesperson. The department emphasized how deceptively calm the weather appeared just before the strike—clear skies over the lake, with storm clouds only nearby.
Experts like John Jensenius from the National Lightning Safety Council are warning the public during Lightning Safety Awareness Week that lightning can strike as far as 10 miles from a thunderstorm, even under blue skies. As the Irmo Fire Department noted, “It doesn’t seem logical, but a few hundred of us are believers today.”
The event serves as a stark reminder that even a brief outdoor activity during a storm warning can have life-threatening consequences—especially in open areas like lakes, beaches, and parks in South Carolina and across the Southeast.
