Man killed by lightning strike

Published 11:57 am Monday, July 22, 2013

A farm worker was killed after he was struck by lightning in southern Decatur County on Monday morning, according to officials with the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office.

The accident happened just after 10 a.m. Monday on the property of Lady Moon Farms, located at 741 Cool Springs Road.

Mauselio Gomez, 21, was struck by lightning while walking outside a packing shed on the farm, Sheriff Wiley Griffin said. Coroner Kenny Hollis pronounced Gomez dead at the scene.

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“They had just left the packing shed and were going to walk toward one of the men’s house up the road,” Griffin said. “From what we were told, the weather wasn’t too bad at the time, the lightning just struck unexpectedly.”

Two other men who were walking with the victim also suffered non-critical injuries and were transported to Memorial Hospital in Bainbridge. They were identified as Elmer Gomez, 18, and Domingo Perez, 21.

Sheriff’s deputies, Decatur County Fire and Rescue and the Emergency Medical Service all responded to the accident.

A rain storm passed through southern Decatur County, shortly after the lightning strike. Emergency responders reported having to slow down on their way to the accident, due to heavy rain and poor road conditions.