By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

A PEACEFUL boating trip in Abaco turned into a terrifying ordeal when lightning struck three men at sea, flooding their vessel and forcing an airlift for one of them to New Providence.

Justin Edgecombe, 38, said he and two of his cousins had gone out to catch conch. The weather was calm when they left Cooper's Town around 12pm on Friday, but conditions gradually worsened with heavy rain and thunder.

Mr Edgecombe recalled the last moments he remembered before being struck by lightning. He was sitting on the boat as they tried to move through the rough sea, when a lightning strike left him unconscious.

“I blacked out," he told The Tribune yesterday. "I don’t know how long I was out. And then I came back "

When he regained consciousness, Mr Edgecombe felt a pounding pain in his head and realised the two other men on the boat had also been struck.

The 17-foot Abaco-built boat was being driven by Theodore Bootle, 37. Initially, Mr Edgecombe thought Mr Bootle was dead, as his body appeared lifeless. He kept trying to wake him, but the situation worsened.

The boat engine had been disabled by the lightning, and water began flooding the vessel. The men panicked as they tried to bail the boat and secure an anchor for over an hour.

“Somebody was passing,” Mr Edgecombe said, referring to how they were rescued. “We started to stand up on top of the boat and wave our hands. A boat came towards us and pulled us into Fire Road Creek.”

During the rescue, Mr Bootle remained unconscious and in severe pain. He was first taken to a clinic and later airlifted to New Providence for further treatment.

Since the incident, Mr Edgecombe said he has been calling daily to check on Mr Bootle. He considers himself lucky to have only been “licked” by the lightning, while Mr Bootle required further medical attention. The other relative was also distressed by Mr Bootle’s condition.

Asked if he would go back on a boat, Mr Edgecombe said it would take some time.

Edith Bootle, Mr Bootle’s mother, told The Tribune that she had been visiting her son in the hospital. She said he initially experienced immense pain, struggled to move, could not recognise family members, and had difficulty staying awake.

“He’s doing much better, he can move now,” she said with relief, adding that he is still struggling with his hearing.

Mrs Bootle expressed hope that God will heal her son and restore his health.