Man collapses instantly when bolt strikes near Texas veterinary clinic
SPRING, Texas -- Video obtained by Eyewitness News is showing the moment a man instantly collapses when he was hit by lightning in the Spring area.
A security camera at the Stuebner Airline Veterinary Hospital captured the moment Thursday as the man was walking his dogs.
The family of Alex Coreas, who was hit by the strike, told KTRK-TV he's in pain but expected to be OK. He's recovering at Memorial Hermann.
A worker at the veterinary clinic said the lightning strike came out of nowhere, but she knew in an instant that she needed to save the man's life.
"I started running through the hospital because someone was like, 'We need help with CPR," recalled clinic worker Christy Mittler.
Mittler said she and other good Samaritans saw that he was not moving, not breathing and that his clothes were charred.
"His shoes and his socks got blown off his feet," Mittler said.
Luckily, she, a colleague and another stranger performed CPR until they could feel a pulse.
"We rolled him over and we were sweeping out his stuff. We were knocking him on his back, telling him, 'It's okay. You got hit by lightning,'" Mittler said.
Deputies said the man was walking his three dogs when it happened. The dogs ran away after the strike, but deputies found them after searching a nearby wooded area.
A gaping hole in concrete was left where the lightning bolt struck the man.
KTRK-TV meteorologists said a small cluster of intense lightning was detected in the area around the time the man was struck.
Friends and family have created a GoFundMe account to pay for his hospital bills and recovery. You can make a donation here.
Man struck by lightning while walking his dogs in Spring
