Florida Couple Struck by Lightning While Walking Hand in Hand

A Florida couple says four strangers were in exactly the right place at the right time after a lightning strike turned an ordinary evening walk into a desperate fight for survival.

Aaron Walenga, 48, and his wife Clare Walenga, 43, were walking hand in hand along the West Orange Trail in Winter Garden on Sept. 2 after dropping their children off at a church youth group when lightning suddenly struck them.

The couple, who have been married for 17 years, told local reporters they had noticed a storm elsewhere in the area but did not remember seeing lightning or hearing thunder immediately before the strike. According to a report cited by WESH, the lightning apparently struck their umbrella before both collapsed on the trail.

Aaron landed face-first and said he temporarily could not move his arms or legs.

“I wanted to get to Clare, and I just couldn’t get up,” he recalled. “I couldn’t really move.”

Clare was in even more serious trouble.

Nearby runners Amber McManus, Charlotte Sachetti Weyand, Michael Sachetti Weyand and Tiffany Roby rushed toward the couple after hearing the blast and seeing them on the ground.

Witnesses said Clare was not breathing and had turned blue. Michael Sachetti Weyand began CPR despite having never performed it on a real person before.

He continued chest compressions until Clare suddenly took a large breath.

Winter Garden police officers and emergency crews arrived moments later. Body-camera footage released by the Winter Garden Police Department shows officers tending to Aaron as bystanders continued helping Clare.

The dramatic police footage can be seen here through FOX 35’s report: Watch the body-camera footage

Both Aaron and Clare were taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center in critical condition, according to subsequent reports. Clare suffered a concussion and short-term memory problems, while Aaron suffered facial injuries after hitting the ground. Both have since made major progress in their recovery.

The couple later reunited with the people who helped save them.

“There were so many miracles that we witnessed from Clare being brought back to life to the four of you being there on that trail at that time,” Aaron said.

Clare added that the ordeal had changed the way she looks at everyday life.

“This gift of life that we have is just so beautiful,” she