Overview

• Around 5 p.m. on June 24, a lightning bolt struck Lake Murray’s swim area at Dominion Beach Park, energizing the metal cable and injuring twenty swimmers, including twelve children.
• Lexington County Fire Service, Irmo Fire District, EMS and the sheriff’s department treated eighteen victims at the scene and transported twelve with non-life-threatening injuries to three hospitals.
• National Weather Service data indicates the strike came shortly after a pop-up storm warning, despite bright and sunny conditions at the park.
• Officials reported minor burns as the most serious injuries, mainly to swimmers holding onto the energized cable, and confirmed all patients are expected to recover fully.
• Park officials conducted safety evaluations of the buoy line and swim-zone infrastructure before clearing the site to reopen on Wednesday.