Woman temporarily 'died' after being struck by lightning while walking dog

22 September 2023 , 23:03

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Rebecca Soto's heart stopped and she temporarily 'died,' but now she's on the road to recovery after being struck by lightning (Image: WKMG)

Rebecca Soto was out on a stroll with her dog one fateful day last month when a powerful bolt of lightning arced down from the sky and electrocuted her. The resounding boom was like an alarm for Lauro Soto, her husband, who rushed outside at the sound.

He found her moments later, lying face down on the sidewalk outside their home, completely unresponsive, according to News 6. He immediately started performing CPR as bystanders called the authorities. She was rushed to the hospital.

In the ambulance, however, another gut-wrenching turn of events occurred — her heart stopped, and she temporarily died. Emergency workers had to defibrillate her, which luckily restarted her heart and brought her back.

A month after being struck by lightning, Rebecca Soto is doing better and can perform daily tasks (WKMG)

The incident caused her to miss a much-anticipated Beyoncé concert the following day, which Lauro said "devastated" her. As she pulled out the outfit she was going to wear to the show, a sparkling silver crop top, she said: "Hopefully, I'll get to wear it and go see her another time."

A month later, the Lake Nona, Orlando, Florida, resident is back at home, slowly recovering from her ordeal, which she described as a surreal experience. Getting struck by lightning is something you read about and see pictures of, but she never thought it would happen to her.

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"I just keep coming back to the word grateful," she told the local news outlet, "grateful, and very fortunate to be where I am today and have healed as much as I have in the past three or four weeks."

A team of family and friends was by Rebecca's side throughout the ordeal, which she said she was grateful for (WKMG)

After the incident, Soto reportedly suffered memory loss issues, but her love ones have been helping her out — telling her stories, showing her pictures and helping her recover what she lost. They were also there with her at the hospital and throughout the entire ordeal, and she said they're another reason she's so grateful.

But what she can't completely wrap her head around is the fact that her heart stopped and that she died for a moment. She told the outlet: "It's an astounding thing to realise and to think about. Just that thought of like, 'I died,' that's pretty heavy. That's a lot to process."

Rebecca's husband Lauro helped save her life after the terrifying incident (WKMG)

As Rebecca has recovered, her relationship with Lauro has improved, and she said the two appreciate the "little moments" when they're simply at home, spending time together or walking the dog. She can now also perform more basic daily tasks like driving, playing with the dog in the yard and going to work.

But Rebecca is now also scared of storms and refuses to go outside if she hears thunder for fear of another strike. And she's also struggling to foot her medical bills.

The family set up a GoFundMe page for their medical bills, which has raised just over $37,000 of their $60,000 goal.

Jeremiah Hassel