An U.S. tourist died Thursday in Costa Rica after being struck by lightning on Ostional Beach in Santa Cruz, in the northwestern province of Guanacaste. The victim’s friend, also from the U.S., was injured by the strike and transferred to a nearby hospital.
The women were identified as Jennifer King, 36 years-old and Debby Leandry, 39. A third woman, whose name has not been released, accompanied the victims when the lightning struck at 2:55 p.m.
The three women were staying in Hotel Playa Guiones. They took an ATV tour to see Ostional Beach when it started raining. The women tried to shelter themselves under a tree, but according to the third woman, the tree was next to small metal rooftop that made the spot more vulnerable to lightning strikes.
