The quiet of the rural community of Valley Of Peace in the Cayo district was violently disrupted yesterday when a massive thunderstorm descended on the western village.
A teenaged boy was running to get some clothes from drying at a nearby creek when he was fatally struck by lightning. Monica Bodden went west today to find out about the lightning bolt which killed the teenager and injured his two sisters:
Monica Bodden Reporting
This clothes basin on the ground marks the area where 17 year old Jose Cab fell after he was struck by lightning. It happened around 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon in the Valley of Peace community.
According to relatives, the rains were coming down and so Cab ran down to the creek to gather clothes that were sun-drying. Coming back up is when a massive bolt of lightning struck him and the house, coarsing through the structure.
His two sisters who were inside the house at the time - making tortillas in the kitchen - received shock related injuries as well.
Mateo Cruz - Friend
"Yesterday between 3 and 4 when this happen the brother-in-law was sitting inside the house in front of a door when they heard something that pass through the roof of this house and he saw a red ball and when he look where the two ladies were making tortillas he saw a red ball just blew up lightning and at that moment he saw the two young ladies that were making tortillas fall down to the ground."
"At that moment the young boy was picking in clothes from the creek. While he was coming with that basket with clothes inside halfway when the lightning strike him and he fell to the ground."
The 17 year old had been electrocuted. His family says he died before reaching the hospital.
Mateo Cruz - Friend
"My mother-in-law went to see what happen to her son. She saw her son coming walking slowly and eventually he fell down."
Monica Bodden
"So he got up after he was shock?"
Mateo Cruz - Friend
"He walk a little bit further then he fell down to the ground. When he fell down they pick him up and they went to the neighbor to ask for help so that they can take him to the hospital."
Monica Bodden
"He was alive all this time?"
Mateo Cruz - Friend
"Yes he was still alive. His heart was still beating."
Monica Bodden
"Was he speaking?"
Mateo Cruz - Friend
"No he was not speaking."
His two sisters, saddened by the sudden tragedy, showed us their injuries. It may seem minor, but the both of them say their bodies feel drained and achy.
According to Cruz the weather started changing around 2:30 yesterday afternoon.
Mateo Cruz - Friend
"This is the first time that this has happen. We haven't seen or heard of this before."
Monica Bodden
"Describe the weather yesterday. What was it like?"
Mateo Cruz - Friend
"It got dark around 2:30 - 3:00 yesterday afternoon. Suddenly it started to rain hard and eventually two flash lightning came and the when the last flash was the one that hit him. After that nothing else."
Jose Alberto Cab will be buried in his village tomorrow.
