Delco Man Killed By Lightning In Northern Pennsylvania

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — A Delaware County man died in a thunderstorm that rolled through Bradford County Monday, according to county authorities.

Bradford County Coroner Thomas Carman told Patch Jason Gamba, 43, of Havertown, died Monday when lightning struck a hunting platform and traveled down an aluminum ladder he was touching.

Additionally, Craig Kelemen, 34, of Bangor, Northampton County died in the same manner, Carman said.

Gamba, Kelemen, and two other men — father and son John and Joseph Maiale from Franklin Square, New York — were constructing a deer hunting blind in an open field in Granville Summit, Bradford County on Monday.

At about 1:45 p.m., the four men took shelter from rain under a wooden platform they were building the blind on when a "rapid and aggressive" storm came through the area, according to Carman.

Carman said the four had not seen any lightning but when it struck it hit the platform, which had an aluminum ladder attached to it.

Gamba and Kelemen were both touching the ladder when the lighting traveled through it.

They were both pronounced dead at the scene at 2:35 p.m.

The two other men survived and were taken to a local hospital for evaluation.

Carman said in his 20 years as Bradford County's coroner he has never handled a lightning strike death.