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Siesta Key Lightning Victim OK After Induced Coma

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Sarasota-Herald Tribune

Published: June 27, 2008

SARASOTA - A man hit by lightning this week has emerged from a medically induced coma and is expected to make a full recovery.

Eric Troyer was struck by lightning while fishing off Siesta Key on Tuesday evening.

Troyer's pastor, Vernon Zook, says Troyer is still in a lot of pain but is able to breathe on his own and speak.

Troyer is an accountant with Kerkering Barberio in Sarasota.

He went fishing with a colleague, Mike Goodhue. After Troyer hooked a 33-inch snook and the sun set, Goodhue left to run errands.

"He wanted to stick around and continue fishing," Goodhue said of Troyer. The weather seemed fine, Goodhue said.

"There was a storm off in the distance," he said. "It must have rolled in pretty fast."

Andrew Cratty, who was running near Midnight Pass Road, saw lightning strike Troyer as Troyer held his surf fishing rod.

"There was a flash," Cratty, 42, said. "And he just fell."

He said he tried tapping him on the face and shook his shoulders before giving him cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

When Troyer started to spit up, Cratty wet his shirt and wiped his face.

Cratty, who installs fire sprinklers by day and waits tables at Stonewood Grill & Tavern by night, ran to Gulf to Bay Condominiums and banged on doors until someone called 911.

A man who identified himself as Pat helped Cratty carry Troyer from the beach to a patch of grass, Cratty said.

"All the time, I was talking to him," Cratty said. "I just wanted him to come around.

"He wasn't reacting to that," Cratty said.

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