Lightning Shocks Eight In Spartanburg County

By Russell Bradley

Published: July 29, 2008

Eight people working on a peach farm in northern Spartanburg County were shocked by a nearby lightning strike Tuesday afternoon.  According to the Cooley Springs Fire Department, the incident happened when a thunderstorm came up on the workers as they worked at Cooley Farms, off Martin Camp Road.  A bolt came down near the workers, with the energy of the bolt passing through the ground, causing six of the workers to suffer burns and blisters to their feet, and numbness to the legs.  Four were transported to Spartanburg Regional via EMS, two were driven to the hospital.  The other two vicitms were not injured enough to be transported.  None of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening. 

Tony Phillips, Assistant Cheif with Cooley Springs Fire, tells News Channel 7 that they rarely see lightning strikes in the area, and has never seen this many struck at one time.