Ont. woman injured in lightning strike on canoe trip
The Canadian Press
Published Tuesday, July 31, 2012
BLOODVEIN, Man. -- An Ontario woman is recovering from injuries after she was struck by lightning while canoeing with six other people in wilderness north of Winnipeg. RCMP say a group of seven girls was paddling on the Bloodvein River near Lake Winnipeg on Sunday when the 23-year-old woman was hit by lightning. A 15-year-old girl also suffered an electric shock while holding on to a canoe as they were pulling the craft ashore during the storm.
The group sent out a GPS distress signal and a helicopter with two Mounties aboard managed to track down the group. The canoeists were waving frantically at the chopper when it arrived and the pilot was able to find enough of a clearing to land safely nearby. The woman was sent to Winnipeg for treatment of minor injuries, but the 15-year-old girl told police she was not hurt and remained with the group to carry on with the trip.
