On the evening of July 18th, a line of severe thunderstorms moved across northern Indiana. In addition to heavy rainfall, the storms brought an average of 2300 lightning strikes per hour. One of these lightning strikes found a target in the Dunewood Campground and injured three Canadian visitors. The bolt left an impact crater one foot in diameter adjacent to their tent. From the evidence at the scene, the lightning moved from the crater to the nearest corner peg of the tent, which was about a foot away. Once inside the tent, the lightning sliced across the floor, through an umbrella and out the next tent peg, leaving a burned/melted path behind. The path of the lightning was less than two inches from the family of three inside the tent. The lightning exited the tent and apparently ended at the campers’ car, as all of the electrical components were found inoperable the next day. The bolt affected all three family members. The five-year-old child temporarily stopped breathing. While the mother started CPR, the father obtained help from other campers. After a short time, the child began breathing on his own. Rangers, county deputies and EMS personnel responded to the incident. All three family members were transported to a local hospital for observation. They were released the next day.
