A Georgia woman survived a lightning strike in the parking lot of St. Joseph Catholic Church that caused her heart to stop [1].
The incident highlights the extreme danger of thunderstorms and the critical role of rapid emergency medical intervention in surviving cardiac arrest.
Mary "Jeanne" Menna was in the parking lot in Marietta when a thunderstorm produced a lightning strike [1, 2]. The bolt hit a nearby tree, causing it to split in half and fall onto Menna [1, 2]. The intensity of the strike also set her car on fire [1].
First responders arrived at the scene and found that Menna had gone into cardiac arrest [2]. Paramedics were able to revive her, saving her life through immediate medical intervention [2].
Reports on Menna's age vary, with some sources stating she is 66 [3], while others report she is 54 [4]. The incident occurred on May 6, 2026 [3].
Menna later returned to the area to reunite with and thank the paramedics who treated her following the strike [2].
“A Georgia woman survived a lightning strike in the parking lot of St. Joseph Catholic Church that caused her heart to stop.”
This event underscores the unpredictable nature of lightning strikes, where secondary effects, such as falling debris and vehicle fires, compound the direct electrical trauma. The survival of a patient in cardiac arrest following such a high-energy event emphasizes the necessity of rapid-response emergency services in urban and suburban environments.
