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SYDNEY - A spot of fishing on a summer's evening has ended in tragedy when a French tourist was killed by lightning on the NSW Central Coast.
The 27-year-old woman was with her boyfriend and another friend when she was struck while the group was fishing at Terrigal Beach, near the inlet to Terrigal Lagoon, at 8.30pm (AEDT) last night.
A witness told police the woman was standing near the water's edge when a severe storm passed overhead and a bolt of lightning threw her to the ground.
The friends and witness tried to resuscitate the woman before being taken to Gosford Hospital but she could not be revived.
The others in the group were treated for shock at the same hospital.
A report will be prepared for the coroner outlining the circumstances surrounding her death, police said.
Lightning accounts for between five and 10 deaths and well over 100 injuries every year in Australia, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
- AAP
