Six people were taken to the hospital after a lightning strike during the PGA Tour Championship event near Atlanta on Saturday (August 24).
The PGA confirmed that two lightning strikes hit the East Lake Golf Club nearly 30 minutes after thunderstorms moved into the area and forced play to be suspended for the day. One strike occurred near the maintenance area, and another struck a tree near the 16th tee. The latter strike injured six people.
“The Atlanta Police Department and Atlanta Fire and Rescue have confirmed that five individuals were injured and transported to nearby hospitals; a sixth person was treated and released at the scene. All were released from the hospital last night,” a statement from the PGA Tour stated on Sunday morning. “The safety and well-being of our fans and players is our highest priority, and we were with those being treated until they were released from area hospitals. We are deeply grateful that the injuries were not more serious, and we’re proud of the collective efforts of the on-site team to quickly care for our fans during this frightening incident.”
Spectators near those injured by the strike said that all were conscious and responding when they were transported to a local hospital.
Footage of the strike was captured and shared on social media. Check it out below.
Lightening strike at the FedEx cup championship in Atlanta. Hope everyone is ok. #FedExCup pic.twitter.com/gbSFvVJwHO
— Blake (@Bcicles) August 24, 2019