Kinslee Tschida, an eight-year-old girl playing in the backyard of her home in Serena (Illinois), died after being struck by lightning while on the swing. Although a storm was approaching the area, the family assures that it was still far away.
The girl's grandfather, Chris Scheib, told CNN that he received a heartbreaking call last Friday in which the family informed him that his granddaughter had died just a few hours after he had said goodbye to her. Scheib explained that if he had been closer to the house, the little girl could have been saved: "He [the family member] said he only heard a loud noise and shouted, 'Hey, get down now!', and turned around. Just like that. She was about 4 or 5 meters from the house. In 5 or 10 seconds, she would have been safe," he recounted.
He, who works on a farm and is familiar with the dangers of lightning, states that the family could not have done anything to save her. Her sister was very close to her and miraculously survived: "My other granddaughter was standing about 90 or 120 centimeters away from her."
Kinslee's grandparents described their granddaughter as a very mature girl, to the point that in her class, she was seen as a true leader and was nicknamed "the queen bee." "She had a particular way of entering a room. She just commanded respect," Scheib recalled.
For the family, the loss has been a devastating blow. Faced with the tragedy, the community in their town and online have come together to help them face the resulting expenses. To this end, they have started a campaign on GoFundMe with the goal of raising $30,000, a goal they are very close to achieving. "Every donation, regardless of the amount, will go towards medical expenses, funeral and memorial costs, and supporting Meghan (her mother) during the difficult days ahead," reads the plea for help.
This incident is being investigated by the Lake County Sheriff's Office and the coroner's office.