A 15-year-old lifeguard is steadily improving after getting struck by lightning at a community pool Monday.
The incident unfolded as Brynnlee Steger directed guests to safety during severe storms at the Rowan County Pool, local outlet WTVD News reported. The North Carolina teenager vividly recounted the jolting experience that occurred as she scrambled to remove umbrellas from the pool area.
A North Carolina teenager is recovering after she was struck by lightning while working her summer job at the public pool. https://t.co/OGukMLUaGJ
— ABC11 EyewitnessNews (@ABC11_WTVD) August 11, 2023
“I felt like my arm got blown off, so I looked down at my arm and my mom … she said that she saw orange and blue surrounding my arm,” Steger told WTVD. (RELATED: Lightning Strike Kills 31 Cows)
Steger said she endured excruciating pain, but began to recover after arriving at a local hospital, the outlet reported.
“She had four or five people come up to her saying, ‘You need to buy a lottery ticket!” Brynnlee’s mother, Sonya Steger, told WJZY.
Medical professionals informed the young lifeguard that rehabilitation will be necessary to address the nerve damage sustained in her arm, according to WTVD.
“It’s insane to think that we could be burying me today. I’m hearing so many people say I’m like a walking miracle,” Steger told WJZY.
Despite the harrowing incident, Steger seemingly remains determined to resume her lifeguard duties in the near future. The teenager thanked God for her survival and swift recovery.
“I guess she’s lucky. She’s my miracle baby,” Steger’s mother added.
The Rowan County Pool closed temporarily for maintenance after the National Weather Service confirmed an EF-1 tornado swept through the area Monday afternoon.