A 26-year-old man was killed by a lightning strike Sunday as he slept in a tent with his family east of Ottawa.
Hawkesbury OPP said a severe thunderstorm was happening near the township of Alfred-Plantagenet, Ont., shortly before 9 a.m. Sunday when a lightning bolt hit a tree at the Whispering Pines Campground.
Investigators said they believe the bolt then hit the tents that were planted nearby, severely injuring Ryan Snutch who was sleeping inside by his 14-month-old son and his mother.
Snutch was unconscious after the strike and taken by ambulance to the Hawkesbury General Hospital, where police said he died of his injuries.
The campground owner's daughter and grandson were the ones inside that tent at the time.
"What a great guy he was. He really was," said owner Rolf Garde. "And now a baby with no father. . . gosh."
His girlfriend RoseAnn and son Julian suffered minor injuries but have since been released from hospital.
"My daughter was burned. Her back was burned and her companion was out," Garde said, calling it a freak accident. "The ambulance came, they couldn't revive him."
A 44-year-old female who was in another tent was also released from hospital with minor injuries.
Hawkesbury OPP said they are investigating the incident, with help from the OPP identification unit.
Snutch's body was taken to the Ottawa General Hospital for a post-mortem.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Stefanie Masotti
