A tragic bolt from the heavens claimed the lives of a young child and his father in Valley Mills, Texas.
The life of young Grayson Boggs, a mere six years of age, came to a heartrending close weeks after a lightning strike targeted him and his father, as told by a crowdfunding page dedicated to the family.
A deadly voltage from above took the life of his father, Matthew Boggs, aged 34, instantaneously.
On a seemingly ordinary day in Valley Mills, Texas, a bolt of lightning led to a catastrophe that left a young boy dead, weeks following the horrific incident.
6-year-old boy dies from same lightning bolt that killed his father a month ago: ‘I love you buddy’ https://t.co/dvyZr5re8R
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) June 18, 2024
Matthew Boggs, together with his two sons, Grayson and Elijah Boggs, had just departed from a bus on the fateful day of May 15, as chronicled by a GoFundMe page initiated by their kin.
Matthew and his youngest son, Grayson, were hand in hand when the heavens unleashed a deadly bolt, searing through Matthew’s physique and surging through Grayson, as per the narrative on the GoFundMe page.
In an account to local media outlet KWTX on May 17, Elijah, 11, shared that he initially believed the pair were merely playing a prank when they suddenly collapsed.
“I was filled with fear. I turned Grayson over and saw a faint smile on his face. I had thought they were jesting, but upon turning my father over, I found his face already donned a shade of purple and the center of his head was bloodied,” Elijah narrated.
Matthew, at the age of 34, met his end in the blink of an eye, according to his obituary, while his son Grayson was immediately whisked away to the Children’s Hospital in Temple, Texas, as stated on the GoFundMe page.
Angela Boggs, Matthew’s mother, revealed to KWTX on May 17 that Matthew and Grayson exchanged a tender dialogue during their final moments as father and son.
“Matthew had just told Grayson, ‘I love you, buddy.’ That’s when the lightning struck,” Angela disclosed.
Tragically, the lightning strike caused harm to Grayson’s optic nerve and frontal lobe. He finally succumbed to his injuries a month after the dreadful incident.
“Grayson joined our Lord and his father at 5:05 am today. Please offer your prayers to the family during these trying times. Soar high, sweet boy. #graysonstrong,” Stephanie Burris, a family member, penned in an update posted on the GoFundMe page on June 16.
Burris has yet to respond to a request for a statement from Insider, which was sent outside normal business hours.
As of June 19, Grayson Boggs’s GoFundMe is ongoing and has accrued $93,352, nearing its objective of $100,000.
Data from the CDC informs that on average, lightning strikes cause 28 deaths annually in the US. Florida, Texas, Colorado, North Carolina, and Alabama are the states where these incidents occur most frequently.
The National Weather Service has issued a stern warning, reminding the public that no outdoor space is safe during a thunderstorm. They advise seeking refuge in a secure structure or a hard-topped metal vehicle as soon as thunder is heard. Furthermore, they recommend avoiding tall objects, as lightning has a proclivity to target taller entities.
In case of unavoidable outdoor congregation during a thunderstorm, the National Weather Service urges for people to spread out to prevent multiple fatalities, despite this increasing the probability of individual strikes.
