A 16-year-old girl has died after she was struck by lightning while hunting with her father in Florida, officials say.

Baylee Holbrook and her father had been hunting on Tuesday when lightning “struck a tree, hitting them,” the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said.

Her father lost consciousness and when he awoke he found his daughter was not breathing.

He called 911 and began CPR, and the teen was transported to HCA Florida Putnam Hospital in Palatka, where she was stabilized enough to be taken to a trauma center. She had been listed in critical condition on Wednesday.

On Thursday, the sheriff’s office said it learned that Baylee had “peacefully passed away” that morning surrounded by her family.

  • @Fredselfish@lemmy.world
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    779 months ago

    I am sad for her death. What horrible way to die. As a father of a 16 year old I hope this doesn’t happen to my kid.

    • Jay
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      239 months ago

      No parent should have to suffer the loss of their own child, it takes a piece of your heart with them.

      • @drekly@lemmy.world
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        79 months ago

        My dad died when I was 16 and that’s not great either.

        But looking at that smile reminds me of my 1 year old daughter’s smile. I live to make her smile. I can’t imagine looking at that smile every day for 16 years and then one day I can’t.

    • Flying Squid
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      199 months ago

      My daughter asked me what my biggest fear was the other day. I said, “being alive after you die.”

    • @Stuka@lemmy.ml
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      59 months ago

      I mean all things considered it was either painless or painful for a few moments at most.

      Not the worst way to go.

          • @Stuka@lemmy.ml
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            69 months ago

            That was my assumption. Not breathing for an unknown amount of time following a lightning strike. I imagine it would be noteworthy for the article if she regained consciousness and later died.

        • @Stuka@lemmy.ml
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          79 months ago

          ‘Horrible way to die’ refers to method of death. It has nothing to do with age.

      • @BURN@lemmy.world
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        99 months ago

        I don’t necessarily condone it, but let’s be real, this incident had nothing to do with hunting. This essentially adds up to a freak accident

        • Jay
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          89 months ago

          Hunting may seem a little cruel but depending on the circumstances very necessary. Some animals overpopulate and hunting can keep animal populations manageable, in check, and overall much healthier.

          But fuck trophy hunters.

      • Kalkaline
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        29 months ago

        I have no idea where to post it, but feel free to take it. NOLS has a lot of great outdoor safety and first aid stuff, great source of content.

    • Dark ArcA
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      129 months ago

      Presumably both? Lightning could jump from the tree to people under it

  • @MinusPi@yiffit.net
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    59 months ago

    As awful as this is, why is this news? Uncaused tragedies happen, everyone knows this. Spreading the word about this on the internet is just spreading misery with no recourse.

    • iAmTheTot
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      209 months ago

      What exactly is news, to you, if not recent happenings?

      People say this drives clicks, but this is exactly the kind if story a local newspaper would have published fifty years ago too.

      • @MinusPi@yiffit.net
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        29 months ago

        A local newspaper. This is relevant to the people who knew her or live in her community. My heart goes out to her friends and family of course, but she ultimately holds zero relevance to me or the vast majority of people here.

      • snooggums
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        19 months ago

        Clicks is just the modern equivalent of subscriptions. People 50 years ago subscribed to newspapers to see this kind of stuff.

    • BruceTwarzen
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      99 months ago

      A lot of news here is just weird niche thigs that happens in america

      • Bipta
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        19 months ago

        Used to be r/offbeat and not r/news material.

    • partial_accumen
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      49 months ago

      Or its a reminder of our mortality, and that anytime something random can happy to cause us to lose our lives. This means we have to use the time we have with greater purpose because we don’t know when it will end. I can allow us to get closer to those we love and let them know it so should something like this happen to us we’ll know they know we loved them.

    • snooggums
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      39 months ago

      A slightly above average looking white woman died. That gets clicks and is the reason the article exists.

      Same reason there are so many stories about missing white women with moderately attractive photos, but you don’t see many for non-white women, men, or less attractive white women.

    • bioemerl
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      39 months ago

      Yeah, now I’m just sad. I guess it tells people to stop being silly and go inside when there is lightning.

      • FartsWithAnAccent
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        49 months ago

        That’s not always an option, especially if you’re in the middle of nowhere and get caught in a storm.

  • @detalferous@lemm.ee
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    -19 months ago

    “Handing you to your Heavenly Father today is something I thought I’d never do but something you’ve been preparing me to do all along. I have peace knowing your with HIM and you are able to change so many peoples lives,” he wrote.

    Change so many people’s lives? What is he talking about?

    • jimmydoreisalefty
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      -109 months ago

      Great to hear people are helping each other in the worst of times!

      “When one of our own is hurting, when one of our own is in need, this community, this county, this town rallies around people like I’ve never seen before,” McKinnon said.