Woman struck by lightning in Wakefield

WAKEFIELD, Mass. -- In a matter of minutes, strong thunderstorms rolled through the Wakefield area, where one woman was struck by lightning on Wednesday morning.

Emergency responders were dispatched just after 7 a.m. to the Bryant Street home, where Tony Freschette said his wife Jo-Ann was struck by lightning while she was ironing in the basement.

Jo-Ann Freschette, an elementary school aide, was transported to Melrose-Wakefield Hospital, where she was diagnosed with muscle damage to her arm and an injured eardrum that has thrown off her balance.

“Did I just get electrocuted or did I just get hit by lightning?” said Jo-Ann Frechette.

Frechette described what went through her head after a lightning surge ripped through her body in the basement of her home.

“I went to put my hand on the iron and it just zapped me. I went probably five or six feet across the room and landed on my butt,” said Frechette.

Frechette was left stunned by what happened and how little she remembered.

“It just felt like something shot though my whole arm up into my neck and my face and my head,” said Frechette.

Over in Dorcester, Scott Rae was on his roof hoping to capture a bolt of lightning.

“I got about three or four shots off,” said Rae.

Instead, the lightning caught him.

“It was a giant flash, you couldn’t even imagine. Just a complete white out, and I only knew it was lightning cause I could feel it,” said Rae.

The blast took out his chimney, hurling pieces of brick into neighboring homes.

After surviving the force of nature both Frechette and Rae feel a higher power is watching over them.

“I must have work to do down here so I'm still here,” said Rae.

“I was very lucky. It could have been my day,” said Frechette.

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