Woman's 'guilt' for being only person to survive lightning strike near White House

A woman who was the sole survivor of a lightning strike in Washington, DC, is experiencing guilt after multiple people died during the incident.

On August 4, Amber Escudero-Kontostathis,28, was one of four people that took shelter underneath a tree in Lafayette Square close to the White House when the rain started to pour down.

At that time, she had been canvassing for a nonprofit called Threshold Giving through the International Rescue Committee, which aims to help refugees.

But in a recent interview, she admitted that she doesn't have much recollection "of that day at all."

James Mueller, 76, and Donna Mueller, 75, a married couple celebrating their anniversary, and Brooks Lambertson,29, a man who was in the area for business, all joined Escudero-Kontostathis under the tree.

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In half of a second, six bolts of lightning struck the group and killed everyone except Escudero-Kontostathis.

She was waiting for her husband to pick her up so they could celebrate her birthday.

Speaking for the first time since the incident happened earlier this month, Escudero-Kontostathis told Good Morning America that the lightning struck her through the ground before travelling through her body.

She was left with second-degree burns on the left side of her body and now relies on a walker.

"I don't feel good about being the only survivor, that's for sure. I'm grateful, but I just don't feel good about being the only one," she told the outlet.

Escudero-Kontostathis was taken to a hospital and put in intensive care for five days, where she said she received constant supervision from the burn and ICU nurses.

"I had more of a personal relationship and memory with the burn centre nurses, but I'm excited to eventually get to meet the ICU nurses in person again now that I'm more conscious of that."

Escudero-Kontostathis also described the side of her body that was burnt as being "pretty charred" and that she gets "frustrated" because she wants "to be working and doing things."

Escudero-Kontostathis further said she "died and came back" after being struck by lightning.

"You don't know when your last day might be," she added.

The lightning strike victims were aided by two nurses who happened to be close by and secret service agents.

Woman struck by lightning near White House talks about her road to recovery l GMAwww.youtube.com

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