Survivor Story: Luke

Hit while on a deck just outside his house

My son in law Luke Shimer was struck by lightning at our home in St Augustine, FL, on May 17, 2016. Luke was still hospitalized after 11 weeks and 2 days and has still not woken up yet. He is currently at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, GA, where his wife Kari has not left his side.

Luke spent 6 years in the Army including a 9 month deployment to Afghanistan where he survived and IED explosion on Dec 30, 2010 and then he had a 4 month deployment in Kuwait. He left the Army in 2014 and joined the National Guard, which he is still in after two years. He is also a full time Special Ed teacher at the Gaines Alternative School in St. Augustine.

Luke is an American hero and an incredible person who served his country and now serves his community as a teacher.