Jerry Leenheer, 71, was trimming trees at the property outside Denver, Colorado last week when he was hit by lightning.
A man has his wife to thank for saving his life after he was struck by a lightning bolt in their yard.
Jerry Leenheer, 71, was trimming trees at the property outside Denver, Colorado last week with his dog Josie when they were both hit by lightning.
"The next thing I knew the world went black," he said.
The bolt shredded his upper left back and traveled down this side of his arm. His hat was also left covered with holes.
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His wife Cora Jean rushed to his side.
"He was right here lying on this rock," she remembered. "And the dog was here with her feet right here, just as peaceful and quiet as you could imagine."
Cora, who recently celebrated 41 years of marriage to her husband, was determined to keep him alive.
"I just said, 'oh god no! no!' and I started doing CPR right away," she said.
"I just started pushing on his chest and started praying that the Lord would bring him back and tell him, 'Jerry come back, Jerry come back. I'm not going to let you go.'"
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A neighbor called 911 as Cara continued to perform CPR.
"He started breathing," she said. "He rolled over on his side and then he sat up and I just said, 'oh god, thank you! He's back.'"
Colorado has become a lightning magnet, with 24 people struck by lightning bolts since May, leaving the whole state on alert.
Weather Channel anchor Sam Champion said that a sturdy building is the only safe place during a thunderstorm.
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