Women Fighting for Their Lives After Lightning Strike

By Jason Claffey and Robert Gates

Two women, including one from Concord, were fighting for her their life Sunday after being struck by lightning during a devastating storm in Ipswich on Saturday evening.

The women’s names were not immediately released. Police said the one from Concord is 69 year old and the other is a 61-year-old from North Grosvenor Dale, Conn.

They were swimming at Crane Beach in Ipswich on Saturday when lightning struck them shortly before 4 p.m., police said.

First responders found the women with no pulse and administered CPR. The women regained a pulse and were transported to Beverly Hospital and then taken to Massachusetts General Hospital. On Sunday, they were listed in critical condition with severe burns, WCVB reported.

“Our hearts go out to the two women,” Acting Ipswich Police Chief Jonathan Hubbard said in a statement. “We wish them the best and we hope they will recover.”

Authorities said a microburst may have been part of the severe storms that hit Ipswich Saturday. The storms downed power lines and toppled trees, knocking out power to thousands in the area.