Spencer Loalbo, Texas husband and father of 3 killed instantly by lightning strike while on golf course in freak thunder bolt.
A Texas husband and father of three was killed after being struck by lightning while on a golf course. A second man, his father, who was with him was also hit and required immediate medical attention.
Spencer Loalbo of Double Oak, Denton County was sharing time with his father on a golf course in nearby Gunter, Sunday afternoon in Texas when both men were hit by thunder. Only the elder man would survive.
Spencer Loalbo killed by freak lightning bolt
Hours before the tragedy, Spencer had attended church with his wife and their three children in the morning and had put down his youngest daughter down for a nap before making the trek to play a few rounds of golf with his father.
It would be the last time the husband and father would see his wife and kids.
Reported KFYO: ‘Just a few hours before an expected severe storm over the area, a single storm cloud moved ahead of the incoming weather. This cloud happened to be passing over Spencer and his father while they were on the golf course, sending one lightning bolt down in a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, striking Spencer, killing him instantly.’
Spencer’s father was standing next to his son when both men were struck by a single thunder bolt, with the elder man hit to a lesser degree. He was rushed to the hospital for treatment and survived his ordeal, NBC DFW reported.
Spencer Loalbo leaves behind his wife, Kaylee, and their three young daughters, an 8-year-old, a 6-year-old, and a 3-year-old.
What are the odds of dying of a lightning strike?
Spencer and Kaylee shared over half of their lives with each other, having first begun dating at College Station before starting a family together in central Texas.
‘I just feel like this is a nightmare that I’m going to wake up from. Or that he’s just going to walk through the gate,’ said wife, Kaylee Loalbo according to NBC DFW.
Lightning strike deaths are incredibly rare, but they do happen, and there have been other golfers who have also died by thunder bolt.
Noted a GoFundme on behalf of the husband and father: On June 8, our beloved Spencer was tragically taken from us in the blink of an eye—struck by a bolt of lightning that not only ended his life far too soon but also shook the hearts of everyone who knew and loved him.
As of Friday afternoon, over $97,355 had been raised.
According to the National Safety Council, the chance of dying from lightning strike in the US is 1 in 138,849. Similarly the chance from a dog attack is 1 in 86,781, while the chance of dying from hot surfaces and substances is 1 in 63,113.
