Woman killed by lightning strike right before boyfriend’s proposal

Chris Spags Founder and Editor

This has to be one of the saddest yet most completely, unequivocally bizarre things I’ve ever heard: A Tennessee man was minutes from proposing to his girlfriend on top of a mountain, hoping to create the perfect moment for the beginning of their lives together. Small problem: They both got struck by lightning, killing her instantly. :(:(:(:(:(

person on mountain top 309x206 Woman killed by lightning strike right before boyfriends proposal According to a report from WATE in Knoxville:

“Everything went black. I was spun 180 degrees, thrown several feet back. My legs turned to jelly. My shoes were smoking and the bottom of my feet felt like they were on fire,” Richard Butler said.

For a moment, he said he thought he was the only one hit by the bolt of lightning.

However, it was his girlfriend Bethany Lott, 25, who took the direct hit. She was hiking just a few feet in front of him.

Most depressing (and simultaneously inspiring) part of the story to me:

[Butler said,] “I picked that spot because she actually said she would like to get married there. She absolutely loved the outdoors. Her last words, about 30 seconds before it struck us, she turned to me and said, ‘God baby, look at it. Isn’t it beautiful?’”

He’s struggling with her unexpected death, but says, “I’ve tried to be mad at God, but I can’t do it. I feel like it is my obligation to her to be as happy as I can be and be as productive with the rest of my life as can be and do as much good as she would’ve done if she could have.”

Normally, this would be the part where I’d make an inappropriate joke (and, since you readers expect that, here’s one: Their presumed wedding song? This gem by Snow Patrol). But seriously…

As obscenely depressing (and, obviously, completely and unfathomably rare) as this is, we could all stand to be more like Richard Butler both for the dedication he had for his lady and the grace with which he’s handling a really tragic loss. Our condolences go out to the guy.

Girlfriend killed by lightning minutes before Knoxville man’s proposal

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