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Duxbury Man Killed By Lightning While Camping In Australia

BOSTON (CBS) – A Duxbury man was killed and his girlfriend was injured when they were struck by lightning while on vacation, according to Australian media reports.

The couple was reportedly on a lengthy trip to Australia. They decided to visit Mount Warning and at one point set up a tent and camped for the night. That's when severe lightning moved in.

Australian media is reporting that a 24-year-old man from Duxbury was fatally struck by lightning while in the tent. He was identified Wednesday as Sam Beattie.

"A couple went camping up Mount Warning, they pitched a tent to a tree and just shortly prior to 4:50 a.m. this morning, lightning struck the tree, went through the tree," said New South Wales Police Commander Wayne Starling. "It appears it might have touched the male's feet in the tent and sadly it killed him."

Reports say the victim was with his girlfriend, a 23-year-old woman also from Duxbury. She was slightly hurt, but survived. She was discovered crying in the tent by some other hikers who tried giving first aid to the man, but he could not be saved.

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