An Alabama teenager miraculously survived after getting hit in the chest by lightning on her very first day of classes at the University of West Florida.
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The lightning strike left Emma Eggler, 18, with serious burns and caused her Apple Watch to explode.
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She had only moved to Pensacola over the weekend and was struck on her first day on campus on Monday, August 22.
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Speaking from her hospital bed, Emma told WEARRTV: “I did not feel anything at all, really. I just woke up on the ground.
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“I was more embarrassed because I thought I tripped and fell on the ground. Then, I realized I couldn’t move, I couldn’t speak and I couldn’t do anything,” she told WKRG in a separate interview.
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A senior who rushed to help, Nelson Libbert, recalled telling the teen how strong she was and how she was having “a tough first day.”
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Doctors later told Eggler that “the lightning went through really close to my heart,” and she likely only avoided a heart attack because of her young age.
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“My shirt was completely open because of the lightning strike. It melted to me,” she told WEARTV.
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The lightning bolt caused second-degree burns on her chest and stomach, as well as her wrist after her Apple Watch exploded.
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It traveled right through to her left foot, leaving holes in her sock and shoes, she said, revealing her initial fear that she was paralyzed was fortunately unfounded.
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“A lot of doctors told me I should buy a lottery ticket because I was so lucky,” she told WEARTV.
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Her mom, Erin Eggler, told the station, “We definitely feel like God performed a miracle for her. That is the only explanation for why she is still here with us.”