Lightning strike in western Wisconsin kills construction worker, seriously injures another

Authorities say a lightning strike killed a man and seriously injured another while they were working on ladders Tuesday morning in Menomonie, Wisconsin.

According to the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office, a crew at a construction site reported that two men were down and had possibly been struck by lightning around 11:11 p.m. One of the victims was reportedly not breathing.

When emergency personnel arrived, they found two victims, ages 60 and 20. The 60-year-old, identified as Richard Nelson, was not breathing and was pronounced dead at the scene. The younger victim was rushed to a local hospital with serious injuries, the sheriff’s office said.

Investigators say the crew was working on a pole shed structure and were under a partial roof. The crew had stopped to work due to the thunderstorms and started again when the weather broke. Shortly after they resumed, the two workers were struck by lightning while they were on ladders.

The incident remains under investigation.