Teen struck by lightning; doing 'OK'

Thursday, 09 June 2005

By BRANDI BARHITE
brandibarhite@sanduskyregister.com

SANDUSKY - A 17-year-old Michigan teen celebrating his high school graduation at Cedar Point Wednesday is "OK and talking" after being struck by lightning, according to his 19-year-old brother.

Camren Vontersch was leaving the park around 5 p.m. because of Wednesday's sudden afternoon rainstorm when he was struck in the parking lot, said Sean Vontersch, who was at the park with his brother.

"He looked up and said, 'Give me a big one,'" and he got struck by lightning," Sean Vontersch said, laughing, when he recalled what his brother told him about the accident.

Camren was treated and released from Firelands Regional Medical Center on Wednesday night.

Sean said Wednesday he and two other friends on the trip, all from Williamston, Mich., near Lansing, didn't know Camren had been hit by lightning and was at Firelands until a hospital employee called him on his cell phone.

Sean said the group was leaving the park and reached the car before Camren, who was walking slowly. When Camren didn't arrive, Sean looked for him in the parking lot.

However, Camren had already been struck by lightning and had blacked out and fallen face first in the parking lot, suffering a gash to his chin, his brother said.

Sean doesn't know who called the ambulance, but said his brother told him other guests were around when he was struck. Camren gave his brother's cell phone number to the hospital worker.

Cedar Point spokesman Robin Innes confirmed the incident happened around 5 p.m. in the parking lot and the Cedar Point ambulance took the teen to Firelands. Innes doesn't know who called the ambulance.

Innes said the park wasn't closed because of the storm, although the rides were down as they are during all storms. Innes said Cedar Point guests have been struck by lightning before, but it is "extremely rare."

Sean said the group arrived at Cedar Point on Wednesday and had been on several rides before the storm. He said his brother had never been struck by lightning, and this was his first time in a hospital.

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