Australia Day 2023: Fight to save boy hit by lightning at Warilla beach Shellharbour near Wollongong

Witnesses have described the terrifying moment a boy went into cardiac arrest after he was struck by lightning while swimming off a New South Wales beach.

The eight-year-old boy suffered severe burns to his chest from the attack at Warilla Beach in Shellharbour, on the south coast of New South Wales, at around 5:30pm on Thursday.

Lifeguards pulled him out of the water and gave him CPR for 30 minutes, along with an off-duty medic, as they struggled to save his life before paramedics arrived.

“People were screaming and screaming for help, first responders came to the young man’s aid, he was in full cardiac arrest, unconscious and unresponsive,” intensive care paramedic Terry Morrow said.

‘He had burns on his chest from the electrical conduction running through his body. It’s rare for someone to be electrocuted while he’s in the water.

“When ambulance officers arrived, they continued CPR and recovered a heartbeat.”

The boy is believed to be English and his family had landed in Australia just a week ago. He was struck by lightning moments after reaching the beach.

‘I heard the mom and obviously the dad there, saying ‘Help, help.’ They were trying to resuscitate him,” witness Mohammed Sohel said. ‘He was wrong.’

Beachgoers revealed that the storm struck suddenly without warning before anyone could take shelter.

“It was so unexpected,” bather Jaymee Atkinson told Daily Mail Australia. ‘There were hardly any clouds in the sky and no signs of a storm.

“I was further down the beach, but I was looking over there when all of a sudden there was vertical lightning, it was so strong and so fast it scared everyone.”

“It was so strong that the children started to scatter towards the stores because they were scared. He even made us adults jump.

The boy is believed to be English and his family is understood to have arrived in Australia just a week ago.

Beachgoer Jaymee Atkinson revealed that the storm struck suddenly without warning before anyone could take shelter.

‘Boy’s reports seem good this morning, he’s still alive. That’s all that matters.’

She added: ‘It’s so amazing that he’s still alive because he was so big, it’s a miracle! Not many people live to tell that story.

‘It’s so unfortunate. It’s a total freak accident. No one could have seen this coming in a million years.

‘It was a good day for everyone on that beach up to that point.

‘Everyone was having a great time and everyone was laughing and having fun.

‘Illawarra storm chasers said it was a true ‘lightning from blue’.’

Steve Pearce, chief executive of Surf Life Saving New South Wales, revealed the lifeguards’ desperate battle to save the boy’s life.

Steve Pearce (pictured), CEO of Surf Life Saving New South Wales, revealed the lifeguards’ desperate battle to save the boy’s life.

“Unfortunately, the boy was struck by lightning in the surf,” he told ABC 24. “He had very visible burns from the lightning strike.

Shellharbour lifeguards were on the scene within 30 seconds. They took the boy out and put him on CPR for 30 minutes.

‘If it weren’t for the actions of the lifeguards, it would have been a much more terrible outcome.

“Lifeguards were able to come to his aid immediately and began performing life-saving CPR until paramedics and doctors could arrive.”

Witness Mohammed Sohel (pictured) described the terrifying moment a boy went into cardiac arrest after he was struck by lightning while swimming off a New South Wales beach.

Paramedics and an intensive care medical team performed CPR on the boy and treated him for burns to his chest while he was on the scene.

An air ambulance helicopter transported a doctor to the scene, but worsening storms prevented the boy from being taken to hospital.

He was taken to Westmead Children’s Hospital by road in an ambulance in critical but stable condition.

Parts of New South Wales, including the Wollongong metropolitan area, were affected by severe storm cells on Thursday afternoon.

Other storms affected the greater Sydney area, including parts of western Sydney and the northern beaches.