Cinnaminson man dies in Jackson Township, New Jersey, lightning strike at archery range
A 61-year-old man from Cinnaminson, New Jersey, died after being struck by lightning in Jackson Township on Wednesday.
Robert Montgomery, of Burlington County, lived with his dogs and loved teaching archery.
His neighbors described him as a nice guy. Eduardo Zambrano was stunned to learn that his next-door neighbor of more than 20 years had been killed.
"I'm really sad that I won't see him around here anymore," Zambrano said. "He would clean my driveway and I would do the same for him."
Montgomery was a volunteer at the Black Knight Bowbenders Archery Range. Montgomery and more than a dozen members of the Jackson Cub Scout Pack 204 were at the range for a competition Wednesday evening when the lightning strike happened with no warning.
"It was just the finger of God went and pointed down and hit a tree real close by here, the Earth exploded, dirt went flying everywhere, and when I turned around, there was at least seven people down on the ground flat," said Gene Grodzki, who is also a volunteer and instructor at the range.
Grodzki said he ran to get a defibrillator and performed CPR on Montgomery, but Montgomery didn't survive.
According to Jackson Township Police, 14 others were hurt. Police said some suffered burns and others reported not feeling well. The youngest victim was only 7 years old.
"It was the loudest thing I ever heard in my life and then you could hear things coming out of the trees," Grodzki said.
Bob Helle, a former president at the range, said he knew Montgomery personally.
"He was a great man, a good volunteer, helped the kids, helped the club you know. I think he's been with this club seven, eight years," Helle said.
Understandably, Montgomery's family is still in shock and declined an interview.
According to Scouting America, all of the Cub Scouts injured are expected to be OK physically.
The fatal lightning strike is the second in New Jersey this year, but the odds of being struck by lightning are less than one in 1 million, according to the National Weather Service.
