Lightning strike at Webster Park: Surgical technologist saves teen with CPR

Kylie Smith never imagined a summer photo shoot would end with a fight for her life.

“When I found out I got struck by lightning, my first reaction was just like, what? I didn’t really believe it,” Smith said. “You never really think that you’re gonna get struck by lightning.”

On Aug. 17, 2024, Smith and a friend were taking sunset pictures at Webster Park when a fast-moving storm rolled in. “It wasn’t even raining,” she recalled. “You could see lightning up in the sky, but I didn’t hear any thunder, so I didn’t think I was close to the storm at all.”

Moments later, a deafening boom split the air. Smith stepped onto a small bridge — and collapsed.

Andrea Rogers, a surgical technologist at UR Medicine’s Highland Hospital, was sitting in her car nearby when she heard screams. “I got out of my car and came running toward this little bridge,” Rogers said. “I encountered this girl laying on the floor right here at the entrance of the bridge.”

Another bystander had started chest compressions but admitted he didn’t know what he was doing. Rogers took over. “We do CPR training every three months,” she said. “When it came to real life, I knew exactly what I was doing. There was not a moment I doubted myself.”

After several tense minutes, Smith began breathing again. Emergency crews rushed her to Golisano Children’s Hospital, where she was treated for burns, a broken jaw and temporary hearing loss.

Smith missed most of her soccer season but returned to the field later that fall to cheers from teammates. Now, she’s determined to pay it forward. “Me and my soccer team, we’re all gonna try and get CPR training this summer,” she said. “I’d love to make it a tradition.”

According to the American Heart Association, immediate CPR can double or triple survival chances for cardiac arrest victims, yet fewer than half receive help before first responders arrive.

Rogers hopes Smith’s story inspires others. “Everybody should seek to be CPR certified,” she said. “Just basic life-saving skills.”