lightning
Georgetown County Fire crews say one person has died and multiple people were injured after a tree near a river was struck by lightning Thursday afternoon.

Deputy county coroner Chase Ridgeway told WPDE the person killed was 44-year-old Ryan Gamble of Andrews, S.C., who died shortly after being transported to the hospital in critical condition. Two others were treated at the hospital for minor injuries.

The National Weather Service reported the strike occurred around 2:10 p.m. At the time, they said 12 people were injured and four were unresponsive.


"We were in the water. A storm came fast. We couldn't get back and it was either sit in the rain and then the lightning hit and it got the tree and then it hit every one of us," said Billie Camlin who lives in Georgetown.

When asked what it was like, Camlin said, "Like a shock through your body. Indescribable."

The group of people affected were all family and friends, aged between 9-46 years-old Camlin said.

Camlin said one person "wasn't good" and CPR was performed on them.

"We were just sitting in the river waiting for the storm to blow over. The lightning hit the tree and ran through all of us," said Joseph Dalzell. "I was worried about everyone, who was okay and who wasn't...I'm amazed it happened; wasn't expecting it."

WPDE has a crew on scene working to learn more. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.