FL Teacher Critically Injured In Peru After Bike Crash, Lightning Strike, Reports Say

PALM HARBOR, FL — A Pinellas County teacher is fighting for his life after he and his friend were struck by lightning while mountain biking in Peru during the Thanksgiving holiday break, according to a GoFundMe campaign for the educator and his family.

James Fernandez, who teaches science at Palm Harbor Middle School, was critically injured in the Nov. 26 lightning strike while his friend, Yuri Botelho of Minnesota, was killed, the Tampa Bay Times said.

“During their time in Cusco, James and Yuri went downhill mountain biking with a guide. In a tragic turn of events, a lightning strike hit Yuri, instantly taking his life. The same strike also hit James and the guide,” his best friend, Bryan Lierberman, who organized the GoFundMe for the teacher, wrote on the fundraiser’s page. “James lost consciousness resulting in a horrific crash that left him with multiple neck fractures and injury to his spinal cord. Before James went into surgery, he could not feel anything below his chest and it's unclear if he will regain feeling in his lower body.”

A tour guide was also injured in the lightning strike but was able to call for help, reports said.

Fernandez and Botelho were also vacationing in Peru with their wives and babies. Fernandez is the father of two young sons, 8 years old or 5 months old, Lieberman wrote.

While he didn’t take a direct hit from the lightning, the strike was close enough to throw him, his father-in-law, Rick Alvarez, told Bay News 9.

“He is fighting for his life,” Alvarez said. “He has a severe spinal injury. They had to do emergency surgery to stabilize the C3–C4 area. At the moment, he’s just fighting.”

Before becoming a Pinellas County teacher, Fernandez led biking tours in Spanish-speaking countries.

“He’s extremely high energy. He keeps us motivated and moving all the time and really gets us all involved as a family,” his sister, Nicole Strockis, told Fox 13. “He ended up getting my kids into mountain biking. Has gotten me into mountain biking, too.”

Lieberman hopes to raise more than $300,000 for Fernandez and his family. The money will be used to help pay for his medical evacuation from Peru, emergency hospital bills in Peru and the U.S., care and rehabilitation, and basic expenses.

“James now faces a long and uncertain road to recovery,” Lieberman wrote, adding, “There is still no telling about the longer term impact of his injuries.”

As of Monday, Fernandez was “very slowly progressing,” and was able to open his eyes and respond to family, his friend wrote. “They are still evaluating his readiness for medical transport back to the US after a few more tests and determination of his ability to breathe on his own.”

See Also:

• Tampa Police Officer Arrested For Domestic Violence: Hillsborough Sheriff
• Plane Collides With Vehicle At Tampa International Airport
• 1 Killed, 1 Missing, 2 Hurt As Boat Flips Near Fort Myers, Reports Say
• Driver Dies After Hitting Truck Hauling Molten Sulfur On S.R. 60: FL Troopers
• 3 Arrested For Having Sex In FL Keys Winn-Dixie Parking Lot: Sheriff