A North Texas man was killed and his father critically injured after a lightning strike at The Bridges Golf Course in Gunter on Sunday, authorities said.
Spencer Loalbo, a father of three in his 40s, died after being struck by a single bolt of lightning shortly after 5 p.m. while playing golf with his father, who is in his 70s. The incident occurred about 50 miles north of Dallas, ahead of a storm that brought hurricane-force winds and frequent lightning to the region.
Gunter Police Chief Danny Jones said a single storm cloud moved overhead around 5:15 p.m., four hours ahead of anticipated severe storms.
“It came out of nowhere, they said,” said Kaylee Loalbo, Spencer’s wife.
Spencer was transported to Celina Methodist Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His father was taken to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in McKinney, where he remains in critical condition.
Kaylee Loalbo said she and Spencer, who met in College Station and later reconnected in North Texas, had been together for half her life. She described him as a devoted husband and father to their three daughters: 8-year-old Evelynn, 6-year-old Charlotte, and 3-year-old Norah.
The family had spent the weekend together, attending church on Sunday morning before Spencer left to play golf with his father. Kaylee was putting their youngest daughter down for a nap and did not get a chance to say goodbye.
Authorities say the storms on Sunday night produced thousands of lightning strikes every few minutes across North Texas.