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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
World
Kieren Williams & Michelle Cullen

Mum fighting for life after being struck by lightning in front of daughter on holiday

A woman has been left fighting for her life after she was struck by lightning in front of her daughter while on holiday in Croatia.

The mum and daughter were sheltering from a thunderstorm on a popular beach at the time of the incident.

They had been enjoying the sunshine at a popular beach resort in Split on Saturday afternoon.

READ MORE: Timeline on the death of Kerry mum Miriam Burns - mystery, cause and suspects

After being struck by lightning, the 48-year-old woman, who has not been identified, was rushed to hospital, where her condition is believed to be critical.

She was allegedly hit and knocked unconscious as the pair tried to reach the safety of a nearby hotel.

Passers-by were alerted to the horrific incident after hearing the daughter's screams.

Split, Croatia, is a popular holiday destination for many and where the Brit remains fighting for her life (gettyimages)

Luckily a medic who had been dealing with a bike accident in a local triathlon rushed to the woman's aid.

The heroic stranger was able to revive the woman before she was rushed to Split's KBC Hospital, where she now remains.

The mum from Britain reportedly sustained a serious head injury and burns.

An official from the Marjenski Dir triathlon told MailOnline: "The woman was struck close to the beach and fortunately for her one of our on-call medics who was attending the event managed to revive her.

"He was close by dealing with a bike accident that had just taken place and when he heard the screams he rushed over to help the woman and he stabilised her until the ambulance arrived."

In a statement posted on their Facebook page, local police said: "At 3:15pm (Saturday, August 20) a report was received from the hospital that an emergency medical aid had been requested to arrive at the Kašjuni beach in Split, where one person was allegedly injured by a lightning strike.

"The woman received medical assistance at the scene and was transported to the hospital where she was kept for further treatment, her life is in danger.

"An investigation will be conducted at the scene and all the circumstances of this accident are being determined."

A Spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: "We are providing support to the family of a British national in Croatia and are in contact with the local authorities".

Local media reported that the change in weather was sudden, and it took just ten minutes for holidaymakers to have fled the crowded beach as the storm replaced the bright sun.

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