An eight-year-old boy has been hospitalised after being struck by lightning while swimming at a popular New South Wales beach on Australia Day.
The youngster was swimming at Warrilla Beach at Barrack Point near Shellharbour in New South Wales when the horrific incident happened in the early evening of Thursday.
According to local reports, he was swimming in the sea when he was hit by a bolt of lightning at around 5.20pm on Australia Day. It is said that the child has scars and burns on his chest and he was unconscious and not breathing when life guards dragged him out of the water.