Brighten Your Day

They Were Struck By Lightning On A Girls Trip - Then Got Matching Tattoos To Remember It

June 24, 2025

What started as a sunny girls’ getaway to Florida became a life-changing moment for four women from Kentucky — one they now carry with them permanently.

Credit: Gulf Coast News

Danielle and Taylor Sturgill, along with their two close friends, were enjoying a relaxing afternoon at Marco Island’s JW Marriott Beach Resort when an unexpected storm moved in. Seeking shelter, the group took cover under a tiki hut — moments before it was struck by lightning. The bolt didn’t hit the women directly, but the force from the strike knocked all four of them unconscious.

“I completely fell backwards. It knocked me completely out,” recalled Rebecca Johnson, one of the friends. “When I woke up, I had a pounding in my head, like the shock went through my body. I couldn’t hear. I can hardly see. I could barely walk.”

Thanks to nearby resort guests who rushed to help, the women were quickly taken to the hospital with only minor injuries. Police later confirmed that the lightning strike hit the hut itself, sending an intense ground current through the sand that caused the women to collapse.

Remarkably, the powerful strike was caught on camera by another hotel guest, who had been filming the approaching storm.

“There were people under the hut and so I was a little bit concerned for their safety,” she told Gulf Coast News. “But it was so loud that it kind of, like, jolted me.” The video captured both the ferocity of the strike and the immediate concern from bystanders.

The very next day, the group decided to mark their survival in a meaningful way — with matching lightning bolt tattoos.

Gulf Coast News

“We’re here getting lightning bolt tattoos, matching tattoos, to remember our girls’ trip and just thank God that we’re here to do it,” Danielle Sturgill shared.

“We’re lucky to be here, and we’re so grateful to be here,” added her sister, Taylor.

Now safely back home in Kentucky, the women are healing physically — and emotionally — with an unforgettable story to tell.

Watch the video below: