Four teen athletes injured - one critically - in Seymour lightning strike

SEYMOUR, Ind. (WISH) - Four softball players were injured when lightning struck just before practice in Seymour on Thursday.

Seymour Senior Carlee Westfall told 24-Hour News 8 the skies were clear when the girls softball team headed out on the field around 4:15 PM.

The next thing she knew, she saw a flash of light, then saw her teammate fall to the ground and start shaking. Then she said, “She just laid there.”

Westfall said she and another friend started running toward the girl, when she thought another stroke of lightning hit right between them.

She described the feeling of being hit, “We felt our bodies vibrating,” and added, “We didn’t really know what to expect.”

Westfall said her legs went numb.

A high school freshman was taken to Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health in critical condition after the strike at the high school field in the southern Indiana city. She is identified by friends as freshman Emily Bobb. Hospital officials said Friday morning her condition was upgraded to good.

The three others, including Westfall, were taken to Shenck Medical Center in Seymour with non-life-threatening injuries, but were released later in the evening, said Stephanie Furlow, director of marketing at the center.

Westfall told 24-Hour News 8 late Thursday that Bobb had been taken off a ventilator at Riley and was speaking, even asking when she could play softball again.

Seymour Police Chief Bill Abbott told tribtown.com that the skies were clear at the time of the lightning strike. He and the school's athletic director both declined to release further information about the incident or the girls' identities.

Westfall said a meeting is planned with the team before school on Friday. Next week, the school is on spring break.

The other girls hurt were Kelsy Nolting, a junior, and Kristin George, a sophomore.

Though parts of far southeastern Indiana were under a severe thunderstorm watch at the time, Jackson County was under no weather alerts at the time of the strike, which happened at about 4:15 p.m. Thursday. A strong storm did move through the area shortly after, however, according to Forecast 8 meteorologists.