(TRINIDAD EXPRESS) The death of Trinidad-born Aneal Lall, who was struck by lightning at a New York park on Saturday has been described as surreal.
Lall, 32, was surrounded by relatives under a tree when lightning struck at around 6.50pm.
The incident occurred near a boardwalk at Sunken Meadow State Park.
Lall, a father of a nine-year-old boy, lived Tacarigua in Trinidad but migrated to the United States States 16 years ago.
His family had gone to the park to spend the day on Saturday.
A relative said, “After the rain stopped everyone jumped out the cars after sheltering the rain. We started cleaning our area with no rain in sight, no thunder or lightning. The skies were clear.”
Seconds later, the relative said, there was an explosion.
He said, “It sounded like a close range gunshot with a bright flash of white light. For a few seconds everyone looked around for a gunman but Aneal fell to the floor. The lightning had struck the tree we were standing under.”
Paramedics responded and performed CPR before taking Lall to the St. Catherine’s Hospital in Smithtown. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Lall lived at Richmond Hill, Queens, New York with his mother, Shanti, and sister, Anisa.
Relatives in Trinidad were making arrangements to travel to the US for the funeral.