4 Women Survive After Lightning Strikes Hut During Florida Storm

Four women were vacationing in Florida when a storm hit. They sought shelter under a tiki hut, which was struck by lightning.

Now, they’re speaking out about the harrowing incident — and why they got matching lightning bolt tattoos. 

On the afternoon of Saturday, June 21, sisters Danielle and Taylor Sturgill and their two friends, Becky Johnson and Kelli Bryant, were staying at the JW Marriott Beach Resort on Marco Island when the storm struck, Good Morning America, ABC affiliate WZVN and ABC News reported. The survivors did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.

“The siren went off, and we knew there was a storm coming. And the nearest thing to us was a little tiki hut, and that’s where we decided to take shelter,” Danielle told GMA. “I can remember really heavy pressure on my head, and then, after that, I was gone.”

Emergency responders received a 911 call for the lightning strike at 3:47 p.m., Fire Chief Chris Byrne of the City of Marco Island Fire Rescue Department tells PEOPLE. Three of the four women were reported to have suffered minor injuries while at the scene, and all four were transported to a local hospital.

He says that the lightning struck the hut they were under, resulting in an “indirect strike.”

“So, the lightning bolt didn’t have direct contact with any of the people, but the energy from it, the electricity from it did,” Byrne explains.

Byrne says the victims were relatively calm while receiving treatment on the beach.

“They were presenting with obvious injuries from a lightning strike,” he says. “Although it is frightening, and they obviously were scared, once some care was given, they were calm.”

Johnson told WZVN that her body struggled to function after the strike.

“I completely fell backwards. It knocked me completely out,” she recalled. “Like, I went unconscious, and then, when I woke up, like, I had a pounding in my head, like the shock went through my body. I couldn’t hear. I can hardly see. I could barely walk.”

The women, who all hail from Kentucky, said they’re thankful to be alive. It’s why they’ve decided to get matching tattoos. 

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“So, we’re here getting lightning bolt tattoos, matching tattoos to remember our girls’ trip,” Danielle told WZVN while at the tattoo parlor. “And just thank God that we’re here today.”

“We’re lucky to be here,” her sister added, according to the outlet. “And we’re so grateful to be here.”

Byrne says there’s a reason Florida is the lightning capital of the United States. Generally, afternoon thunderstorms roll into the area at around 3 p.m. every day. 

“We always preach [that] when those conditions start to change, you need to get off the beach,” the fire chief says, “Get into a sheltered area, a building or something with a hard roof over it, and just wait it out.”

He adds, “Typically, if you’re out in an open area and you hear thunder and you’re still out there, you’re already at risk.”