BOIS D’ARC, Mo. -- Three people died and another is critically injured after lightning hit them during a funeral at a rural cemetery on Friday morning. The lightning traveled down a tree and hit the group of mourners.
Leroy Hendricks, 82, and Billy Burgess, 66, died soon after being hit. Junior Gray, 70, and his wife, Joretta, 71, were injured and one of them died Friday afternoon but their family requested that the hospital not release information about the couple. Tom Martin, Greene County sheriff’s chief deputy, said all four are from Springfield.
A large group was attending a funeral for Leon Carroll, 83, of Bois D'Arc, at Clear Creek Cemetery on Farm Road 108 at Farm Road 93, west of Springfield-Branson Regional Airport and south of Willard. A storm moved through shortly after 10 a.m.
Charles Turk, who lives across from the cemetery, knew most of the people attending the funeral. Turk was driving back to his home from a feed store when he saw the lightning strike.
"When I looked, there was a giant ball of fire right beside the tree, right where they were standing," Turk said. “I saw four people sort of fall over in slow motion, four elderly people. It was the most horrible thing I've ever seen in my life.''
Turk's son ran across the road to help administer CPR to some of the victims. About the same time, one of the bystanders ran into the nearby Tatum Chapel Baptist Church to get Pastor Darryl Walker.
“He knew I knew CPR, so they came and got me,'' said Walker, whose church was not involved in the funeral. “I went over there to help. I did everything I could.''
After rescue workers arrived, shocked mourners watched them try to save lives.
“Some of them weren’t breathing,” said one person.
“Only God could save them,” said another.
Walker said about 30 to 40 people were attending the graveside services when the rain started. He said it was not an unusually severe storm.
“It was a summer rain shower, with some thunder,'' Walker said. “There was no big wind or anything, not what I would call a big thunderstorm.''
Turk said, when the rain started, he saw several people back up under the trees surrounding the gravesite.
“I guess it's a miracle that more of them weren't hurt,'' he said. “Everyone was trying to help but, man, it was so horrible. People were crying."
Turk says many of the people attending the funeral were elderly. Turk said the funeral for Carroll hadn't yet been performed and now is on hold.
Walker, who served on the fire department for several years, said he was stunned by the accident.
“I've been around several tragedies in my lifetime,'' he said. “I've never seen anything like this.''