The incident occurred on the evening of 28/8 at Praia da Pinheira beach in Palhoca, Santa Catarina state. The victim was Endinara Gonçalves Arezze, 39, a tourist from Caxias do Sul, Brazil.
Surveillance camera footage from the area shows Arezze walking with her husband on the beach when the incident happened. While they paused, a sudden lightning bolt struck Arezze, causing her to collapse instantly. Her husband immediately tried to lift her and administer first aid.
Local rescue teams arrived at the scene after receiving the report. By then, the victim was unconscious, had suffered cardiac arrest, and was not breathing. She had burn marks where the electricity entered and exited her body. Medical personnel continued cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and transported Arezze to the Praia do Sonho emergency facility. During transit, a defibrillator was used three times to stimulate her heartbeat.
At the medical facility, doctors restored the patient's heartbeat and vital signs. Arezze was then intubated and urgently transferred to Hospital Regional de Sao Jose in critical condition. Due to severe damage following the circulatory arrest, the victim died on the morning of 29/8. Arezze's funeral was held in Caxias do Sul a day later.
The area where the incident occurred was experiencing rapidly changing weather patterns, including rain, strong winds, and severe thunderstorms towards the end of the day.
Local officials warned residents and tourists about the risk of lightning strikes in open areas like beaches, especially when weather fluctuations occur late in the day.
Mai Phuong (According to The Mirror, AOL)