BEAVER COUNTY, Utah — The family of two girls struck by lightning in Beaver County Friday issued a statement Saturday with an update on the girls’ recovery.
Two girls ages 8 and 16 suffered serious to critical injuries after being struck by lightning, and officials say a family dog returned to a campsite and led family members to the unconscious girls.
The 8-year-old girl remains in critical condition Saturday, but “has made steady improvements and is responding to the medical interventions from the staff at Primary Children’s Hospital,” a press release from the Beaver County Sheriff’s Office states.
The 16-year-old girl who was in serious condition has made “great improvements” and is now in stable condition and healing.
The press release from Beaver County Sheriff’s Office included this statement from the family:
“As a collective family we would like to express our gratitude to the total stranger who stopped to render aid to our two daughters who were victims of the lightning strike in the Tusher Mountains. We would also like to express our deepest appreciation to our family in Beaver County who supported us during this event with selfless acts of kindness.
We as a family are very thankful to all of the good Samaritans and first responders who came so quickly to render aid to our daughters. Their heroic efforts and rapid response were very appreciated. We especially want to thank the pilots and flight crews from the Department of Public Safety and Life Flight. Thank you for your selfless care. We hope to personally thank each of you in the future.
We are very thankful for the support, words of kindness, and kind gestures in our daughter’s behalf. As a family we would like to take some time to focus on the healing of these two girls and we would ask for some time to focus on their immediate needs.
We would like to clarify that the girls were from Payson, Utah and Springville, Utah. We were in Beaver County attending a family reunion with members of our extended family in that area.
Thanks for everyone’s thoughts and prayers.
The Osborns.”
