By
Scott Stump
-
TODAY
The Coast Guard rescued a group of family and friends who had been trapped in a thunderstorm 100 miles off the Florida coast when lightning struck their boat.
The incident was caught on video.
“I have been through storms.
Lightning has struck all around me before, but I've never had anything like this happen to me," Capt. Glenn Rumer told NBC News correspondent Kerry Sanders on Monday.
"There was lightning every second,"
Rumer's sister, Sherrie Kelley, also said in an interview with the TODAY show.
Coast Guard officers rescue a boat crew member during a thunderstorm 100 miles off the Florida coast on June 26, 2022. Coast Guard
Rumer and Kelley were among seven crew members who set sail from Clearwater, Fla., to compete in a fishing tournament on Saturday.
They decided to return after facing wind gusts of up to 35 miles per hour, six-foot-high waves and constant lightning.
"There was only one way out of that and that was through the storm," Rumer said.
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A crew member captured on video camera the moment lightning struck the 39-foot (13-meter) boat.
The lightning struck the spinnaker pole, a long pole sticking out of the bow used for fishing, and blew it to pieces:
"It was on fire when it fell
," Rumer said. "The motors, the electricity, everything melted. We were completely in the dark in the water,” he added.
Kelly immediately took all the passengers below deck, including a pregnant woman.
“I went into mom mode.
They all held out as best they could, really,” she stated.
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Rumer used a beacon to send a distress signal to the Coast Guard.
Petty Officers Karli Thomas and Brian Kamp flew over the area with their two teammates for almost two hours until they found the damaged boat.
Kamp dove into the water to swim to the boat and assess the situation, finding the passengers very grateful to see him.
"We started crying
," Rumer said.
The crew members were airlifted to a safe location.
"I love you all.
They are all angels.
Angels of the water”, affirmed Rumer.
The Coast Guard rescue team and the crew of the boat struck by lightning.TODAY
Kelley and Rumer said they will never forget this fishing trip.
"Mother Nature had her way," Kelley said.
"We had God's help, and he blessed us and we are all safe at home and no one was hurt," Rumer said.
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Florida is the state in the country with the most lightning strikes.
An average of 10 people die each year from its impacts, according to the National Weather Service.
And July is the deadliest month.
The authorities remind that all boats must be equipped with flares and life jackets, as well as a device known as a radio beacon, which sends the authorities the location of the boat: what Rumer used to call for help.