A 16-year-old Florida girl has died after she was struck by lightning while hunting with her father, officials said.
According to WFLA, Baylee Holbrook and her father, Matthew, were hunting in the woods in Putnam County Tuesday when lightning struck a tree, hitting both of them.
The strike caused Matthew to fall unconscious, but when he awoke, he found his daughter unresponsive.
Matthew called 911 and started CPR until rescue personnel arrived. The teen was taken to a trauma center, where she remained in critical condition.
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“Pray for my baby. Every single person put your knees on the ground and pray,” Matthew Holbrook posted on Facebook Tuesday.
On Thursday, deputies gave a tragic update, announcing that Baylee had “peacefully passed away surrounded by her family” at 9:32 a.m.
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According to WFLA, Baylee was a student at Palatka Junior-Senior High School and was described as having “touched many lives.”
At the time of the incident, the sheriff’s office warned residents of an “increase in lightning strikes” in the area.
