A 10-year-old Cub Scout is said to be “still in shock” after being knocked out of his shoes during a fatal lightning strike at an archery range in New Jersey on Wednesday.
The incident occurred at around 7:13 PM as 11 boys and two girls from Jackson Cub Scout Pack 204 were learning to shoot arrows with Black Knight bows. The Jackson Police Department confirmed the event.
Tom Coopy, the father of Scout Trian, recounted the moment, saying, “I turn around and look, I have my body on the ground. Adults, kids, burns, other parents and kids scream,” he told CBS.
Ryan was reportedly thrown out of his socks and shoes by the force of the strike, according to his father.
The young archer sustained second-degree burns on his heel but is recovering from the close encounter with death.
“He’s still in shock, and his anxiety is rising,” Tom shared with the media.
Even with all this fear, his dad assured him that Ryan would still pursue becoming an Eagle Scout.
The lightning was so intense that it allegedly knocked one person into a tree, as witnessed by others at the scene.
Ryan was among 15 individuals injured, while a 61-year-old instructor, Robert Montgomery, tragically lost his life due to the strike.
Reports indicate that most of the Cub Scouts who were hospitalized have since been released.
Instructor Mike Ruster described the experience as shocking, saying he initially thought it was an explosion. “It hit me on the ground, and I, what happened? Am I dead?” he recalled.
A long-time member of the archery facility, Ruster expressed his grief over losing one of his fellow instructors.
“I’m still shaking. I’m still very angry and crying. It should have been me. That was my position,” he lamented.
In light of the tragedy, Scout Troop 204 is organizing a benefits event for first responders.
