Florida Couple Survives Lightning Strike After Holding Hands

A Florida couple survived a freak lightning strike that left them unresponsive on an isolated hiking trail. Aaron Walenga, 48, and his wife Clare Walenga, 43, were walking while their three children attended a church youth group when the hit occurred on September 2. They were holding hands moments before the bolt struck, according to police reports.

Three unidentified good Samaritans found the pair lying still. A harrowing 911 call detailed how the passersby immediately began performing CPR on the non-breathing victims. Dispatchers instructed them: "If she's not breathing, we need to start CPR." The caller replied, "We're doing CPR... We are doing compressions."

Aaron told officers he remembered gripping his wife's hand right before the impact. Dr Jeff Lawrence, president of the Foundation Academy where both work, called it divine intervention. Aaron was awake and talking but in pain. Clare remained unresponsive for a time. The school community is rallying around them as they recover from breathing tubes and other injuries.

Aaron retired from the US Air Force two years ago. He now teaches speech, debate, leadership, and personal finance to middle and high school students at the Foundation Academy. Clare handles admissions there. Their children all attend the upper school.

A parent launched a fundraiser that raised nearly $54,000 by Tuesday. Dr Lawrence said they dearly love these two staff members. "It's two of our staff members who we dearly love," he told WESH. "These are wonderful people." He added that their survival is a miracle.

"If they hadn't have stopped earlier, just stopped and waited for a moment and kept going, I don't know when we would have found them because there was nobody else out on the trail," Lawrence explained. The three heroes who called 911 made all the difference. They literally saved Clare's life.

They share a profound love and unwavering faithfulness with one another; you would not be surprised to spot them embracing while walking down the trail." That was the sentiment shared by Krista McCracken, a parent at the school who launched an online fundraiser to help the couple. By Tuesday, that effort had already pulled in nearly $54,000. McCracken posted a message from the pair under the original fundraising page. "Our family wants the public to know how deeply encouraged and loved we feel by the overwhelming support we have received from friends, our church community, the school community, and many others," they said. "The prayers, messages, and acts of kindness have been a tremendous source of strength during this difficult time." The Daily Mail reached out to both the Foundation Academy and the Wintergarden Police Department seeking their comments on the situation.