Thaindian News

June 9 (THAINDIAN NEWS) While reaching for a ring to propose marriage to his 25 year old girlfriend, Richard Butler, 30 was suddenly knocked to the ground, and his love, Bethany Lott was struck dead immediately by a strike of lightening during a mountain storm.

The couple were hiking during scattered showers and storms last weekend at the top of a 4600 foot high mountain in North Carolina, near the Tennessee border. As they stopped to admire the view atop Max Patch Bald, Butler reached for the ring. But the wedding was not to be.

Before he could even get the ring out of his hand, much less utter the proposal, a sudden lightening strike knocked him off his feet. He told the ‘Citizen Times’ “She was probably five feet in front of me, so given the incline, she was a good bit higher than me, but it jumped to me. I was spun 180 degrees and thrown several feet back. My legs turned to Jello, my shoes were smoking and the bottom of my feet felt like they were on fire.” Butler suffered 3rd degree burns from the strike.

Lott, however, never knew what hit her. She was struck down and never regained consciousness. “She didn’t say anything, and I turned around and she was laying a few feet away, and I crawled to her. I did CPR for probably 15 minutes and the whole time was trying her cell phone, but I couldn’t get anything out.” He drove to the nearest house, since he could not carry her down the mountain due to his own injuries.

A man and his son came back with Butler, and helped all they could with Lott until rescue workers arrived on the scene. They were unable to bring Lott back, but did allow Butler to place the engagement ring on her hand. He was listed in the obituaries as her fiance, even though he never got to utter his wishes to the love of his life.

Lott loved hiking and had wanted to explore the site ever since their first date. Butler finally relented and took her up to the mountaintop in order to propose to her with the romantic mountain views behind them. The storm, though extremely dangerous, was a gorgeous display in the North Carolina mountains. Lott’s last words, as she watched in wonder were, “God baby, look how beautiful it is.”

At least 5 people have been killed by severe weather over the weekend in Ohio alone. Readers are urged to get indoors if there is a storm. Although Butler and Lott were experienced hikers, tragedy still struck in the form of a lightening bolt.