Fort Worth teen struck by lighting while on vacation in Florida returns home

A Fort Worth teen is back home since he was struck by lightning on a Florida beach.

15-year-old Jacob Brewer took a direct strike to the chest and is continuing intense rehab.

His family left for Florida on July 14. But two days into their vacation while enjoying an afternoon on the beach, a quick-moving storm rolled in.

A bolt of lightning hit Jacob in the chest, exiting his right foot.

“He went 55 minutes without a heartbeat,” explained his mother, Barbara Brewer. “We’ve had doctors tell us that Jacob is a miracle.”

Since then, Jacob’s been in four hospitals, recovering from a spine injury and nerve damage, leaving him unable to walk.  But doctors tell the family they’re hopeful the nerve damage could heal with time.

On Friday, the family flew home from a rehab facility in Chicago to continue Jacob’s therapy, but even that was a bumpy ride.

“Then all of a sudden like we start going down the tarmac and we were like bam! And we were like what just happened, and the pilot came on and we just blew two tires,” Barbara said. “And I was like, of course it would happen to us.”

The family says a big part of what’s getting them through all of this ordeal is the support from family, friends and the entire community.

The Timber Creek High School band boosted Jacob’s spirit Wednesday with a house call, and all the encouragement is working.

“I’m amazed at his attitude towards it all. He’s been a fighter,” said his dad, Jeremiah Brewer. “Of course, we have some downtimes of course. Overall he’s stayed positive, he’s cheerful.”

“It really helps if you are really motivated and you do everything they tell you,” Jacob said.

The family knows it’s a long road ahead, but one they’re tackling head-on and offering others are words of caution.

“You don’t want to do through what we’ve gone through,” Barbara said. “If you see lightning, get off of that beach. Get off the field wherever you are.”