A hiking trip that nearly cost two people their lives became the beginning of a marriage for a Wisconsin couple, after Eva Broderick performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) twice on her boyfriend, Nick, following a lightning strike in August 2025.
According to a report by Action News 5, published on October 18, 2026, the couple survived the ordeal, married a year later and are now sharing their story as Eva receives recognition for her actions.The incident took place on August 9, 2025, when Nick took Eva, his then-girlfriend, on a 10-mile hike through Kettle Moraine State Forest in Wisconsin. They were slightly more than two miles from their car when a sudden storm swept in, turning an otherwise enjoyable outing into a desperate struggle to survive.
The couple had little opportunity to find shelter and continued along the trail as the rain intensified, according to reporting by Milwaukee television station TMJ4, which first covered their account.
What if we get struck by lightning?
As the storm worsened, Eva became increasingly worried. Nick later recalled that she turned to him and asked what would happen if they were struck by lightning. Minutes later, the possibility became reality.Nick remembers hearing a loud boom, after which his memory of the incident stops.
Firefighters said lightning struck a nearby tree and the couple were affected by the resulting ground current. Rather than being hit directly by the lightning bolt, they were injured by electricity spreading through the ground after the strike.Eva later described feeling what seemed like electricity in her feet and curling up with her hands over her ears. When she looked towards Nick, she found him lying on his back, with his eyes partly open.
He appeared blue and was not breathing, she recalled in an interview with TMJ4.Eva called emergency services and began CPR. However, reaching rescuers proved difficult because her mobile phone signal kept dropping. She also struggled to identify their precise location in the forest, unable to remember the trailhead they had used or exactly which path they had followed.
A 50-minute wait for rescuers
The couple's location created a difficult search for emergency crews.
According to Palmyra Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Dan Schiller, the phone's location information placed them somewhere within a broad area of forest rather than identifying a precise spot. Responders had to make their best estimate and search several possible routes. It took around 50 minutes for rescuers to reach the couple on foot after Eva called 911.
During that wait, she had to perform CPR on Nick twice, despite having also been affected by the lightning strike herself.Schiller described the circumstances as extraordinary in comments reported by TMJ4. Eva's actions were particularly significant because she was dealing with her own injuries while attempting to keep Nick alive until professional help arrived.The incident also illustrates the difficulty of locating injured hikers in remote areas when phone reception is unreliable. Even when emergency services receive a call, rescuers may have to search a large area on foot if the caller cannot provide an exact location.
Three days in hospital, then a proposal
Nick was taken to hospital after the rescue and spent three days recovering. The effects of the lightning strike did not end when he was discharged: he continued to experience some hearing loss in one ear and tendon-related problems, according to the follow-up report by Action News 5. But the couple's story did not end with the rescue. After leaving the hospital, Nick proposed to Eva. The pair subsequently married in August 2026, almost a year after the incident that had brought them so close to losing each other.Their decision to marry in the same month was deliberate. Nick said they wanted to give August a happier association after the frightening experience of the previous year. Eva has also spoken humorously about the experience. She joked that Nick could not leave her because she had brought him back from death.
Recognition for a life-saving act
Eva is being recognised for her actions by the Palmyra Fire Department, which announced that she would receive its Lifesavers Award for helping save Nick's life.
Their experience also highlights the importance of knowing CPR and calling emergency services as quickly as possible. The American Heart Association recommends immediate CPR when someone is unresponsive and not breathing normally, while emergency dispatchers can provide instructions until professional help arrives.For Eva and Nick, the hike remains a reminder of how quickly conditions outdoors can change. What began as a long walk through the forest ended in a rescue operation, a difficult recovery and, eventually, a wedding. A year later, the couple are looking towards a new chapter, with Eva's actions during those 50 minutes recognised as a decisive part of their survival story.