Lightning strike hurls exchange student into nearby pond, Texas official says
An exchange student from India studying at the University of Houston suffered brain damage after she was struck by lightning, according to family members and Texas officials.
Susroonya Koduru, 25, was walking near a pond at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site in Houston at around 5:40 p.m. on July 2 when llightning struck, Thomas Gilliland, a senior deputy with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, told McClatchy News.
A 27-year-old man who was with Koduru told deputies he only remembered waking up on the ground and seeing Koduru in the water, Gilliland said. She had been thrown about 10 to 15 feet.
The man and another bystander jumped into the water to help her, he said. They pulled her out and started performing CPR.
First responders brought her to a hospital, he said. The man was not injured.
A GoFundMe page created by Koduru’s cousin says the lightning strike caused her to go into cardiac arrest, and it took 20 minutes for her pulse to be restored.
“Subsequently, she suffered devastating brain damage and went into a coma,” the GoFundMe says.
Gilliland said she was still in critical condition at the hospital as of July 19.
Koduru, who is from India, came to the U.S. to “realize her dreams” and obtain a masters in information technology at the University of Houston, according to the GoFundMe.
“Susroonya had nearly completed her Master’s program and was waiting for Internships,” the GoFundMe says.
Her cousin, Surendra Kumar Kotha, did not respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.
Kotha told ABC 13 that he is trying to raise money to bring her parents to the U.S. from India so they can be with her.
“They should have the privilege, they should see her,” he told the outlet.
Six people have died due to lightning strikes in the U.S. so far this year, according to the National Weather Service. Two of the fatalities occurred in Texas.
Survivors of lightning strikes can suffer long-term effects, including damage to their brains and nervous systems, according to the agency.
6-year-old dies after lightning strikes dad while the two held hands, Texas family says
Lightning strike kills man and hospitalizes 6-year-old child, Texas sheriff says
Groom killed by lightning strike during pre-wedding photo shoot in China, officials say
