Woman saved from a lightning strike by her Doc Martens

Last Thursday, Julie Escudero and her 28-year-old daughter were canvassing tourists in the neighbourhood of the White House in DC, trying to raise money for Ukrainian refugees when storm clouds gathered. Within minutes, the skies darkened and the rain started.

They took shelter under a tree with three other people. Bad idea.

Suddenly, there was a bright flash and a horrible sound. When her sight cleared, four people were on the ground. Three of them–a 29-year-old man and a couple in their 70s–lay dead. And Julie realized that her daughter, Amber, had also been struck by lightning.

But even though Amber suffered sever burns to the left side her body, she was alive. How? Her Doc Martens.

Julie believes that Amber was saved by the thick Air-Wair rubber soles of her Doc Martens. They insulated her from the ground just enough to prevent the full power of the lightning bolt going through her body.

Amber is making a surprising recovery. She’s already back walking–slowly, tentatively–and is out of the ICU.