ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A lightning strike hit four teenagers in downtown St. Pete Thursday evening — two 16-year-old girls, one 16-year-old boy, and a 17-year old boy.

They were all standing under an old banyan tree when the lightning hit. All four were taken to the hospital, and St. Pete Fire Rescue officials say the most seriously injured teen was in cardiac arrest when first responders arrived.

One of the teen’s father said they were just trying to avoid the rain when the lightning hit, and other people who were downtown described it as a huge strike.

“I was just in a store down across the street, just right on the other side of Beach Drive, and there was a huge lightning strike, the power flickered a little bit, and I was like, 'Oh that literally sounded like it was right across the street,'” said Alina Grillo, and she was right.

It was across the street where lightning hit an old banyan tree in North Straub Park around 5:45 p.m. Thursday. Minutes later, she heard the sirens.

“There was a significant storm that was happening at the time.  Our crews responded and they found a total of four minor patients.  Two of the patients were found on the ground, one of the patients that was most serious was in cardiac arrest,” said Richard Gomolak, Operations Chief for St. Pete Fire Rescue.

All four teenagers were taken to hospitals — two as trauma alert patients, one was in cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived, but is now stable. 

Dr. Danielle Mercurio works in the Emergency Center at All Children’s Pediatric Center, where two of the teens were taken. She said lightning strikes can be very dangerous, and painful.

“It’s very painful, but the pain, generally, is quick, but then it leaves an altered sensation, it does feel like a burning sensation,” she said.

Klystron 9 Radar from Thursday at the time of the strike shows four total lightning strikes. St. Pete Fire Rescue says they believe the lightning hit the tree, and it wasn’t a direct strike on any one of the teens.

The family of one of the victims says three of the teens have been released from the hospital. 

Bay News 9 Meteorologist Juli Marquez on how to stay safe during lightning storms and where to go if you're outside when lightning strikes.