18 hospitalized after lightning strikes near lake in South Carolina

Eighteen people, including 12 children, were taken to hospitals after a lightning strike near a popular lake in South Carolina, according to officials and local media.

The incident occurred around 5 p.m. near the beachside of the Lake Murray dam in Lexington County, according to WLTX. The lake is situated just outside the city of Columbia.

Lexington County Fire Services Chief Kyle Minick said emergency crews responded to a “potential lightning strike” and treated 20 people at the scene. Of those, 18 were transported to local hospitals for further evaluation. All injuries were described as non-life-threatening.

“There were 20 patients on scene, 8 of those were adults, and EMS was able to transport 12 to area hospitals for various injuries,” Minick said in a call with WLTX. “All patients were transported to be further evaluated.”

According to the National Weather Service, lightning strikes kill an average of 20 people each year in the United States and injure hundreds more. Some survivors are left with long-term neurological effects.

So far in 2025, four lightning-related deaths have been reported in the United States—one each in North Carolina, Missouri, Florida, and Texas. The fatalities in Texas and Florida both occurred within the past week.