It was the kind of reunion no one ever plans for: Mary “Jeanne” Menna, a Kennesaw woman, came face-to-face Monday with the first responders who brought her back to life after lightning struck her in a Marietta church parking lot. The strike hit on May 6 as Menna opened a car door and left her unresponsive and without a pulse, according to her family and rescuers. The gathering back at the church, 54 days after the life-threatening scare, turned emotional for both Menna and the crews who rushed in to help.
According to WSB-TV, the lightning bolt also struck a nearby tree, and the jarring moment was captured during the station's live coverage. Marietta Police and Marietta Fire pulled up within minutes, found Menna not breathing, and started CPR. They helped stabilize her at the scene, and she ultimately recovered enough to walk back into the same church and thank her rescuers in person.
Lightning Risk in Summer Storms
According to the National Weather Service, lightning can strike as far as 10 miles from a thunderstorm, so people should not assume they are safe just because rain is not falling overhead. The agency stresses that enclosed buildings or fully enclosed vehicles with the windows up are the safest places to be when thunderstorms roll in.
How to Respond if Someone Is Struck
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges anyone near a lightning victim to call 911, check for breathing and a pulse, and begin CPR if the person is not breathing. The CDC also warns against using corded phones or plumbing during storms and recommends seeking shelter the moment you hear thunder or see lightning.
Menna has called her survival "a miracle," and local crews say the quick, coordinated response on that May afternoon was critical to her recovery. For those who want to see the moment and the emotional reunion, WSB-TV has video of both the lightning strike and the ceremony honoring the first responders.
