One person is dead after being struck by lightning at Poughkeepsie’s Mansion Square Park last Friday. The 50-year-old male victim (under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, no victims’ names have been released) died early Saturday morning around 1 am at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, where he was being treated.
Four others at the park were hurt while either standing or sitting on a bench when lightning struck a nearby tree around 4 pm. Two 46-year-old males were also taken to Vassar Brothers, where one remains in intensive care, while the other is progressing, according to Tim Massie, senior vice president of public affairs at Health Quest, which operates Vassar Brothers. “He’s feeling rather well, and should be released in the next couple days,” he tells Hudson Valley.
Two additional victims with less severe injuries were taken to MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie. According to Geoff Brault, the facility’s digital and brand strategist, one has been treated and released, and the remaining patient is in good condition. Neither of their identities have been released.
The National Weather Service reports that only 27 lightning-related deaths have taken place so far this year, nationwide. This weekend’s fatal strike follows a similar, recent incident in Batavia, NY, near Buffalo, where two people were struck by lightning and killed in a cemetery.
We will update you with more information on the victims and their status as is made available.
