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Ga. responders find teens struck by lightning; 1 killed

A 14-year-old boy was in cardiac arrest when emergency crews arrived and was pronounced dead at a local medical center

By Chelsea Cook
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

MCDONOUGH, Ga. — A lightning strike killed a 14-year-old boy and seriously injured a 15-year-old girl in McDonough on Tuesday.

Eric West and Ceyara Taylor were standing outside a house in the Huntington Ridge subdivision off Ga. 42 when they were knocked to the ground by the lightning strike, McDonough Fire Chief Steve Morgan told WSB-AM (750).

The Henry County Fire Department responded to the call about 8:47 p.m. and transported both teens to Henry County Medical Center.

Morgan said Taylor regained consciousness at the scene. She was transferred to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. A spokeswoman reported Taylor’s condition as good on Wednesday evening.

West was in cardiac arrest when emergency crews arrived and was pronounced dead at Henry County Medical Center.

Staff writers Alexis Stevens and Larry Hartstein contributed to this article.

Copyright 2010 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution