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Twenty people were injured when lightning struck a South Carolina beach Tuesday evening, officials said.
Twelve children and six adults were taken to local hospitals, while two people left on their own after the strike at a beach near Lake Murray, Lexington County spokeswoman Vanessa Diaz said.
The patients’ ages were not immediately clear; neither was the extent of their injuries, Diaz said. The injuries are considered non-life-threatening.
The lightning struck on what was an otherwise “super hot and sunny” day, though a storm cloud did pass over the area, Diaz said.
“It didn’t rain or anything like that; it was just a random storm cloud that went by,” she said.
The Lexington County Fire Service, the Irmo Fire District, Lexington County Emergency Medical Services and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department all responded, Diaz said.
The strike, reported around 5 p.m., happened at the Dreher Shoals Dam, Diaz said. The dam is at Lake Murray Public Park, which is owned by Dominion Energy. Dominion Energy did not immediately reply to requests for comment Tuesday night.
Lake Murray Public Park is around 4 miles northeast of Lexington.
The park was closed Tuesday night but is set to reopen Wednesday, Diaz said.
