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Eric Baumgartner survived the strike after a Woodbridge police officer performed life-saving CPR.
Baumgartner was painting lines for the soccer field at Iselin Middle School on Wednesday, June 14, and didn't hear anything over the loud noise of the machine he was using when the lightning strike came down, a GoFundMe page says.
Eric was unresponsive and had no pulse when Woodbridge Police Officer RJ McPartland revived him.
In Eric’s words, "He thought he was dying because he didn’t know why he was in an ambulance with the pain he was in."
The lightening strike hit him on his right foot. Both feet are extremely burnt along with other parts of his body from torso down, the page says.
Eric will remain in St. Barnabas Hospital in Livingston where he will be continuously monitored.
Eric is an 18-year veteran of the Woodbridge DPW and Parks Division. Eric is also a proud veteran of the US Coast Guard.
"None of us can even imagine life without Eric," the GoFundMe says.
Click here to view or donate to the GoFundMe.
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