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Two friends who were standing together when they were struck by lightning in a shower of sparks that burned through their clothing thought they were going to die when they collapsed and were unable to move.
Yulia Ivina, 36, and her friend Arina were paddling on boards on the Irkut River in Russia with their husbands and friends when the incident happened on 10th August at the end of a five-hour adventure.
Dark-haired Yulia said it was a miracle that they survived when both of them were hit.
She recalled: "We kept close to each other so it was easier to chat. We took photos.
"After four hours, we had covered 35 kilometres [20 miles], with about 10 kilometres [six miles] left to go.
"But the weather began to worsen: the sky grew overcast, and it started to drizzle.
"Getting ashore nearby was difficult - there were dense thickets of trees everywhere."
Then they noticed a small strip of land and decided to head there. Meanwhile, storm clouds were closing in, and the first lightning flashes appeared on the horizon.
The men in the group moved slightly ahead while Yulia and Arina remained behind, with Yulia paddling while holding onto her friend's board with one hand.
When they were just a few feet from the shore, a powerful bolt of lightning struck directly into Arina's paddle.
Yulia said: "I didn't immediately understand what had happened. I remember a high-pitched ringing in my ears, sparks flickering before my eyes. I felt them, I saw them.
"And then I lost consciousness…"
Both women collapsed, with Arina falling into the water, while Yulia was left lying on her board unable to move.
The men, who had almost reached the bank, immediately turned back and rushed to help.
Yulia recalled: "I came to and realised I couldn't feel my legs. Out of fear, I started screaming.
"I understood the current could carry me away. At that moment, a friend paddled up and pulled me to shore.
"Arina was pulled out of the water by the passing strangers. Our guys simply wouldn't have reached her in time. She had been underwater for at least 30 seconds.
"She was paralysed, unable to surface on her own. Soon they brought her to shore too."
On land, Yulia cried as she watched Arina lying unresponsive, able only to blink, while her husband and friends desperately tried to revive her and called emergency services.
Yulia, still paralysed from the waist down, was carried towards a nearby cafe, while Arina was transported using a large cloth provided by the staff, who allowed the group to wait inside until the ambulance arrived.
Once inside, Yulia gradually regained feeling in her legs and was eventually able to stand again, although she was still shivering from fear and stress and could barely hear due to one blocked ear.
Paramedics then arrived and transported them both to hospital.
Arina's sweater was partly burned by the strike, and she had abrasions on her body.
Yulia was later discharged and was told by doctors to avoid stress and physical exertion.
Eight days after the strike, Yulia said that her hearing is slowly returning although she still experiences discomfort in her ear, while her legs ache and she bears a large lightning-shaped mark on her skin.
The two women have described their survival as a second birthday.
Yulia, who works as an artist, added: "We're still shaken by what happened, supporting each other.
"It's frightening to think how it could have ended."
(Simona Kitanovska / newsX)
Byline Journalist: Simona Kitanovska
Byline Sub editor: Simona Kitanovska
Byline Spotter: Aloysius Fernandes
Byline Commisioning Editor: Aloysius Fernandes
Byline Senior Writer: Simona Kitanovska
Byline Picture Editor: Zorica Stojkovik
Byline Copychecker: Angela Trajkovska
Byline Illustrator: Angela Trajkovska
Byline News Editor: Mike Leidig
Geography: Irkut_(river)
Subject: Health, Healthcare, Hospitals, Humans, Women, Nature, Real-life, Luck, Survival
T4 Editor Story Rating: 7
T4 Editor Pic/Vid rating: 9
T4 Total rating: 8
