Boy, 12, left in critical condition after being struck by lightning at football tournament in Hertfordshire

A 12-year-old boy has been left in a critical condition after both he and a man in his 50s were hit by lightning while taking part in a school football tournament. The incident occurred on Monday afternoon (September 2) during the district competition held at The Sele School in Hertfordshire. 

According to the East of England Ambulance Service, the boy was transported to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge while the man was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow for further medical care.

The East of England Ambulance Service said: "We were called at 5.16pm with reports that two people, a 12-year-old boy and a man in his 50s, had been struck by lightning in Welwyn Road, Hertford.

"We sent East Anglian Air Ambulance, two ambulance officer vehicles, an ambulance, a BASICS vehicle and a rapid response car. The child was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital in a critical condition and the man was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital for further care. Both were conveyed by land ambulance.

"We would like to thank our emergency services colleagues and members of the public at the scene who provided first aid and CPR while our crews were on their way."

The school's head teacher said the child involved in the incident was from another local school.

In a post on Facebook on Monday, he wrote: "Unfortunately, during the tournament there was a lightning strike which affected several people, two of whom, one adult and one student from another local secondary school, were taken to hospital for treatment.

"The entire staff of The Sele School, the wider school community and I would like to thank the emergency services, the parents and staff who were attending the match and were so helpful and our first aiders who did an amazing job while waiting for the emergency services to respond.

"Our good wishes and thoughts are with the people who were injured."