Community rallies to help Kansas couple struck by lightning

WAMEGO (KSNT) – The owners of a northeast Kansas farm are recovering after being struck by lightning last week.

Shane Jager with the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office told KSNT 27 News in an email that a 911 call was made around 7 p.m. on June 30 regarding a lightning struck in the 5600 block of Lewis Wilson Road in Wamego that injured two people. First responders arriving at the scene found a woman giving CPR to a man. The pair were later identified as Jennifer and Matthew Campbell, the owners of Woolly Bee Farm.

Jager said Matthew was struck by lightning while returning from a pasture. Jennifer was also hit by the lightning, getting knocked to the ground, but reported no injuries. Matthew was taken to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries. He is currently in the ICU.

A GoFundMe set up for the couple following the tragic event states that Matthew received severe injuries from the incident. The goal for the GoFundMe is set for $100,000 to help the couple cover costs associated with medical expenses and taking care of the farm in their absence. At the time of this reporting, the GoFundMe has reached more than $75,000. You can donate to the GoFundMe by clicking here.

The National Weather Service (NWS) says on its website that your chances of being struck by lightning in the U.S. are around 1 out of 1,222,000 in a given year and 1 out of 15,300 over the course of your entire life. Those struck by lightning can suffer cardiac arrest at the time of their injury with some victims dying days later due to irreversible brain damage. Between 1989 to 2019, the U.S. averaged 43 reported lightning fatalities per year.