Woman dies in storm strike

AIKEN --- A 56-year-old Aiken woman died Friday morning after lightning struck where she stepped outside to take a break from her work day, authorities said.

Brenda F. Baker, an employee at GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals in Aiken, died from an irregular heartbeat because of the lightning strike, said Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton.

According to witnesses, Ms. Baker had taken an outdoor break about 5 a.m. from her job as a packaging operator for the pharmaceutical company when the lightning struck near a break area where she was standing under a tree.

"I don't believe she was directly struck," the coroner said. "I think it was more indirectly, but she was close enough to the strike that it caused some thermal injuries and caused her heart to go into an arrhythmia."

Mr. Carlton said Ms. Baker didn't have the injuries normally associated with a lightning strike, such as significant burns.

When lightning hits someone, "it has to go to ground," he said. "It has to come out of your body and usually goes into the ground, and typically, that exit is through your feet."

The victim did not have those type of marks.

Mr. Carlton said that the last time someone died from a lightning strike, as far as anyone can remember, was 1977.

"It's a pretty rare occurrence that someone dies as a result of a lightning strike," he said.

Ms. Baker was employed by the Kelly Temp Agency and had worked at the pharmaceutical company for approximately four months, according to the coroner's office.

Another employee, whose name authorities didn't have available Friday, also was struck. However, authorities said she survived and was able to call for help. She was taken to Doctors Hospital in Augusta where, the coroner said, she was in fair condition.

A spokeswoman for the company said the Aiken facility would be closed until Monday, and grief counselors would be available when employees returned.