Six middle school students were taken to the hospital after lightning struck close enough to one of the students, knocking the student unconscious.
The six students were playing football at Fairforest Middle School on Sunday, Sept 7, when lightning struck, according to the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office.
Lightning struck close enough to one student, knocking them unconscious. All six teens were taken to Spartanburg Medical Center. None of the students were directly hit.
A Spartanburg County deputy responded to the incident.
The Upstate, including Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson counties, was under a thunderstorm warning Sunday afternoon, leaving thousands without power, with trees down and some secondary roads flooded.
The incident on Sept. 6 comes several weeks after a woman was struck by lightning in Cherokee County.
Authorities with Cherokee County Emergency Management reported that a woman was struck by lightning on Aug. 15 at Cowpens National Battlefield.
The victim, Shyane Gosnell, was visiting Cowpens National Battlefield in Gaffney with her friend Porsha Staley and their daughters when she was struck.
Fire and EMS personnel responded to the scene and located Gosnell, who was transported to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center for further evaluation, according to Holden Turner, planner and coordinator with Cherokee County Emergency Management.
Gosnell was released from the hospital a few hours after the incident. All others involved are okay, said Turner.
Data from the National Weather Service, last updated June 30, shows there have been four lightning fatalities in the U.S. this year. In comparison, the nation saw a total of 21 lightning fatalities the previous year.
From 2006 through 2025, 517 lightning-related deaths have occurred in the country, with an average age of 37 among victims struck, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) lightning strike victim data.
"About 37 million lightning strikes hit the ground in the United States each year. But the odds of being struck by lightning each year are less than one in a million, and almost 90% of all lightning strike victims survive. The odds of being struck multiple times is even less, with the record being seven times in one lifetime," said the CDC.
Factors that can increase residents' risk of being struck by lightning include engaging in outdoor recreational activities, residing in regions with frequent thunderstorms, and working outdoors.
The Palmetto State has not experienced any lightning fatalities so far this year, according to tracking from the National Weather Service.
In 2025, South Carolina did not experience any lightning fatalities, although a mass-strike incident occurred where 20 people, including 12 minors, were injured by a single bolt while swimming at Lake Murray Public Park in Lexington.
Residents should be aware that there is no safety from lightning when outdoors in a thunderstorm, according to the National Weather Service. Hearing thunder indicates lightning is close enough to strike you, which is why you should immediately move to shelter at the sound. After hearing the last clap of thunder, wait in shelter for a minimum of 30 minutes before heading back outdoors.
Here are other tips from the NWS regarding lightning safety:
Stay away from corded phones, computers, and other electrical equipment that put you in direct contact with electricity.
Avoid plumbing, including sinks, baths, and faucets.
Stay away from windows and doors, and stay off porches.
Do not lie on concrete floors or lean against concrete walls.
Last resort outdoor risk reduction tips (when you are outside with no shelter nearby)
Immediately get off elevated areas such as hills, mountain ridges or peaks.
Never shelter under an isolated tree.
Never use a cliff or rocky overhang for shelter.
Immediately get out and away from ponds, lakes and other bodies of water.
Stay away from objects that conduct electricity (barbed wire fences, power lines, windmills, etc.).
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Student knocked unconscious by lightning strike at Fairforest Middle