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Lightning bolt strikes coach, two players on soccer field, Montana school says

Lightning hit two players and a coach during soccer practice at a high school in Kalispell, Montana, educators say.
Lightning hit two players and a coach during soccer practice at a high school in Kalispell, Montana, educators say. Photo by Felix Mittermeier via Unsplash

A lightning strike on a soccer field at a Montana high school injured a coach and two players at practice, officials reported.

The incident happened at Glacier High School in Kalispell at about 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19, Principal Brad Holloway said in a Facebook post.

All three people hit by lightning were hospitalized, with one player in intensive care, Holloway wrote.

The soccer team had returned to practice after going inside for 30 minutes following earlier lightning activity in accordance with school policy, KPAX reported.

Several teams were practicing on the school fields at the time, the station said.

Kalispell is about a 190-mile drive northwest from Helena.

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This story was originally published August 21, 2024 at 1:57 PM with the headline "Lightning bolt strikes coach, two players on soccer field, Montana school says."

DS
Don Sweeney
The Sacramento Bee
Don Sweeney has been a newspaper reporter and editor in California for more than 35 years. He is a service reporter based at The Sacramento Bee.
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