Nick Broderick and his girlfriend Eva were hiking in Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine State Forest in August 2025 when the weather changed. About two miles from their car, they faced rain with nowhere to take shelter. As they headed toward the parking lot, lightning struck a nearby tree. Electricity traveled through the ground, injuring both of them. Eva found Nick lying on his back, blue and not breathing.
She called 911 and began CPR, using chest compressions to help keep him alive. However, her phone signal was weak, and she could not explain their exact location on the trail. Rescuers needed 50 minutes to reach the couple. While they waited, Eva restarted Nick’s heart twice.
Nick survived and spent three days in the hospital. He was left with slight hearing loss in one ear and some damage to his tendons, the tissues that connect muscles to bones. After leaving the hospital, he asked Eva to marry him. The couple wanted to give August a happier meaning, and they married less than a year after the strike. Eva also received a lifesaving award from the Palmyra Fire Department.
