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Two Rushed To Hospital After Lightning Strike

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HAULOVER BEACH (CBSMiami) -- Crews rushed two people to the hospital after lightning struck Tuesday afternoon.

Authorities said it happened sometime around 4 p.m. in Haulover Beach near Collins Ave. and 108th Street.

According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's Ocean Bureau, lifeguards put up the double red flag warning and closed off the beach but despite air horns and warnings not everyone cleared the beach.  Two of the men were said to be just feet from the shore when lightning struck.

"They were all together as a group.  Two people were in the water and the third went to assist the other two who were in the water," said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Lt. Matthew Sparling.

"One of them was very injured.  He was taken away and he was not moving," said Niccolo Valentini, who grabbed cell phone video of about half a dozen lifeguards rushing to help.

Valentini took shelter under lifeguard station 15, as lifeguards closed off the nudist beach when a storm approached.

"We heard this very big noise," said Valentini. "Just some seconds after the lightning, all the lifeguards went to help these three people."

"It looked from a distance like they were kind of relaxing in the water, but then afterward, I saw them trying to move and their muscles were just not functioning," said Solomon, another beach-goer who was nearby when lightning struck.

The incident will now have those who witnessed it think twice about getting in the water during a storm.

"It was very, very scary," said Valentini.

"Definitely won't get in the water when it's thundering and lightning now.  I think that people just think that it won't happen to them," said Solomon.

Authorities have not released the condition of the two men who were transported to local hospitals.

The third person who was also shocked, was treated at the scene of the incident.

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