Girl's Heart Stopped 3 Times After Nearby Lightning Strike But Dad Was There To Save Her
October 18, 2022
A nearby lightning strike almost turned deadly for 12-year-old Ella Jorgensen. But thankfully, her dad Steven immediately jumped into action and doctors credit him with saving her life!
12-year-old Ella Jorgenson was outside playing in the rain while visiting her grandparents in Arizona when the unthinkable happened. An intense storm came tearing through and a nearby lightning strike knocked Ella to the ground.
RELATED: Stepdad Pulls Daughter Out Of RV Just Moments Before A Tornado Picks It Up And Flips It
"It was a super bright, bright, loud flash that cracked," Ella's father, Steven Jorgensen recalled.
Doctors don't think the lightning strike hit Ella directly but rather nearby the 12-year-old. However, the current passed along to her and stopped the girl's heart.
"She just fell straight down," Steven said.
Thankfully, though, the time Steven had spent serving his country as a Marine prepared him for this exact moment!
Dad Saves Daughter Hurt By Nearby Lightning Strike
The Marine veteran jumped into action. Finding no heartbeat in his daughter, he immediately began performing CPR. Soon, his daughter's heart began beating again but only for a moment. Then, she flatlined again.
RELATED: Mom Saves Napping 22-Year-Old Daughter With CPR After Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Steven Jorgensen kept giving his 12-year-old daughter CPR until her heartbeat returned for a second time. But then, Ella's heart stopped again. But the determined dad refused to give up. He kept doing CPR just as he'd learned during his service.
"I fought in Iraq in '07 and Afghan in 2008 so I've had plenty of experience," he said.
For a third time, the CPR resurrected the little girl. And this time it held as emergency responders rushed her to the hospital. There, doctors credit Ella's dad, Steven Jorgensen, with saving his daughter's life after the nearby lightning strike.
Of course, the humble hero, Dad, insists he was simply doing what he had to in order to protect his daughter.
“I’m just a dad taking care of his daughter,” Steven said.
And his brave child came out of the incident unscathed, which her doctor calls "amazing."
“The main injury she had, the burning was onto her chest. It bubbled up a little bit," Steven explained, also noting a few minor burns elsewhere on Ella's body.
RELATED: Her Heart Stopped For 12 Minutes, But Then God Sent A Miracle
Just a few differences and this story would have had a very different ending. Had the nearby lightning strike hit Ella directly, or had her father not been on hand to give CPR and get her heart beating again, the Jorgensen family would likely be planning a funeral.
But God and His angels made sure all the pieces lined up just right so this sweet 12 would live to see another day!
WATCH: Girl's Heart Stops 13 After Nearby Lightning Strike
Though getting struck by lightning is an extremely rare occurrence, another young man, Josiah Wiedman, survived a similar incident in 2018. Lightning hit Josiah, who was 13 at the time, only a few miles from the scene of Ella Jorgensen's freak accident.
For Josiah, the damage from the nearby lightning strike was far more substantial. He spent three days in a coma and had to learn to walk again.
Now 17, Josiah heard of the young girl who, like him, miraculously survived a lightning strike. And he is reminding Ella and all of us what a blessing each moment truly is.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Pregnant Wife Performs CPR On Husband Who Ends Up In Coma Day Before Delivery
"I learned that life is precious, and we shouldn’t take it for granted," he said. "It can be taken away from us at any time."
WATCH: Fellow Lightning Survivor Shares A Special Message
LISTEN: A Woman Went to Heaven After Her Heart Stopped and Then Came Back to Share Her Story
h/t: NBC 12
Featured Image Credit: Youtube/FOX 10 Phoenix & Unsplash/Mélody P
Mel is the senior writer for GodUpdates, finding, writing and sharing Christian, uplifting, and health-related stories from around the world. Mel has a passion for writing and graduated with a degree in English from Randolph-Macon College in Virginia. When she’s not researching and writing stories, Mel is very active in her church. You can usually find Mel playing board games with her husband and two young girls, giving someone a hug, or hunting down a good cup of coffee!
Today's Devotional
A Prayer to Show Compassion - Your Daily Prayer - July 14
What does it truly mean to clothe yourself in compassion, kindness, and humility? This devotional helps us slow down in Scripture to grasp the deep, daily calling of Colossians 3:12.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer to Show Compassion - Your Daily Prayer - July 14
What does it truly mean to clothe yourself in compassion, kindness, and humility? This devotional helps us slow down in Scripture to grasp the deep, daily calling of Colossians 3:12.
Past Stories
- At 103, She’s Her Bowling Team’s Oldest and Most Cheerful Player
- Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Saves 165 People From Camp Mystic, 'I Was Just Doing My Job'
- He Lost His Whole Family to a Flood, Ten Years Later, He’s There for Others in Texas
- Two Texas Sisters Share About Surviving the Flood at Camp Mystic
- Brave 12-Year-Old Boy is Honored After Saving His Family From a House Fire
- A Daughter Finds Connection to the Father She Never Knew Who Died in Vietnam
- She’s Raising Two Sons with a Rare Condition—and Showing Others How They Thrive
- A Neighbor's Call Saves the Life of a Newborn Baby Whose Mom Had Passed Away
- After Months of Paralysis and a Ventilator, Mom Talks to Young Son and Tells Him 'I Love You'
- Shelter Dog Detects a Stranger's Medical Emergency and Becomes a Hero
- Grieving the Loss of Their Daughter, They Chose to Keep Fostering Hope
- Gloria and Bernice, Identical Twins Turn 100, Celebrate Decades of Memories
- Father of Three Dies After Being Struck By Lightning While On Golf Course
- Married 18 Years, Parents of 4 Are Both Diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer
- He Lost His Wife. She Lost Her Husband. Together, They Found a New Beginning
- She Earned Her Degree, Then Gave Her Dad a Second Chance at Life
- They Were Told Their Pup Had Been Hit By a Car, 4 Years Later They Found Her Alive
- New York Soccer Coach Collapses On the Field, Parents Jump in to Save Him
- Community Gathers to Remember 12-Year-Old Girl Who Died in a Scooter Accident
- After Surviving Family Tragedies, Stroke, and Coma, Teen Walks in Her Graduation Ceremony
- Civilian Stops to Save Woman in a Burning Car, 'It Could Have Been My Mom'
- They Adopted a Baby Boy, Then Extended Extraordinary Grace to His Birth Mother
- Cancer Survivor Shocks Everyone With His 4th Lottery Win
- Brian Wilson, Co-Founder of the Beach Boys, Passes Away at 82
- Vietnam Vet Passes Away, His Mailman Rushes to Adopt His Dog
- 4-Year-Old Called a Hero After Teacher Collapses at Daycare, and She Knows Exactly What to Do
- After 100-Mile Journey, Including a Swim, Missing Golden Retriever Mix is Finally Back Home
- Life Delayed Her Dream, But Didn’t Deny it. At 88, She Became a Graduate, and Witness to God’s Timing
- Gary Sinise Opens Up About His Son’s Death and the Gift of Grandfatherhood
- Young Girl is Saved by Good Samaritan After Falling 15 Feet Into a Waterfall
- Retired Alaska State Trooper Helps Rescue Husband Pinned by 700-lb Boulder
- 9 Year Old Boy Saves Mom and Newborn Sister By Calling 911, 'My Mom Could Have Died'
- Police Escort Paralyzed Teen to Prom Years After Childhood Shooting
- Young Boy in Wheelchair Walks at His Kindergarten Graduation, Surprising His Family
- Woman Credits Her Faith After Tire Flies Through SUV Windshield in Near-Death Crash
- 98-Year-Old Twins Cherish Life, Love, and Faith While Living Next Door to One Another
- Airman Served in WW2, Now He is Finally Coming Home 81 Years After He Died
- Teens Are Heroes After Saving Family From Fire On Their Prom Night
- She Survived 3 Weeks Lost in the Wild, Fighting Off Animals and Snowstorms
- Triplets Graduate From Texas Tech Together, All Earning Degrees in Media and Communication
- She Lost Her Son's Baby Book, But It Was Returned to Her at the Right Moment
- Man and His Dog Reunited After Being Hit by Drunk Driver
- Nurse With Caring Spirit Says Yes to Dying Mother's Wish For Her Son, and It's Beautiful
- She Never Told Her Friends She Was the School Mascot, Then Shares Her Secret at Graduation
- Mom Donates Kidney to Daughter, Now They’re Graduating Nursing School Together
- Grieving Son Finds Kindness When Trying to Print a Photo of His Mother Who Just Passed Away
- Nebraska Mom Raised Concerns About Husband's Mental Health Before Tragic Murder-Suicide
- Brothers Discover 1976 Message in a Bottle, Then Find the Man Who Wrote It
- California High School Discovers They Have 14 Sets of Twins in Their Graduating Class
- Paralyzed Pup Tyrion Finds New Life With a Doggie Wheelchair
Top Artists
Top Music Videos
Bill and Gloria Gaither Guy Penrod's Stirring Live Performance of 'Then Came The Morning'
Brad Stine Has Issues Brad Stine’s Hysterical Take on Adam Naming the Animals is Pure Gold
Oak Ridge Boys 'Jesus Is Coming Soon' The Oak Ridge Boys
chris rupp Chris Rupp’s Soul-Stirring A Cappella Version of 'Beautiful Savior' Is a Must-Listen
toby mac TobyMac Releases Heartfelt Lyric Video for ‘Goodbye (For Gabe)’
Blog
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.