Family Says Teen Struck By Lightning Is In Critical Condition
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - The teenager hit by lightning in a field in Aurora Friday afternoon remains in the hospital.
Brian Tena Cardenas, 15, is in critical condition at the burn unit at University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, according to his family. His aunt told CBS4 he is in a coma.
Lightning struck him as he was walking near East Alameda and the Aurora Towne Center with his sister and a friend. He hit the ground and his clothes were burned off him.
The other two people raced to a nearby street to flag down drivers after the strike. One of those men rushed to Cardenas and quickly administered CPR before paramedics arrived.
Dr. Gordon Lindberg is the medical director of the hospital's burn unit and says people can survive a direct lightning strike, despite the fact that "the electricity goes through their entire body, and it's very high voltage."
"Between 30 and 60 percent can recover from it. The thing we worry most about is long term effects on their brain," he said.
Cardenas attends Gateway High School in Aurora, which is close to the location where the strike happened.
On her Facebook page his little sister Alisson Tena Cardenas shared words of encouragement including Come on, big brother you can do this and Don't give up and You're strong, you've got your whole life ahead of you.
Many family members also posted messages of love on the victim's own Facebook page.
The family told CBS4 many of them are with Cardenas at the hospital.
