Beltzville Lake

A New Jersey man died early Sunday after being struck by lighting while swimming in a lake at Beltzville State Park in Carbon County. The park is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. (Lehighvalleylive.com file photo)

(Courtesy Photo)

A 38-year-old Camden man was killed and two others were hurt when lightning struck as they were swimming in a lake at Beltzville State Park in Pennsylvania.

Jose Lopez-Hernandez, of the 300 block of Grand Avenue in Camden, was joined by a 33-year-old man, his 12-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter at 7:36 p.m. Saturday at the lake, authorities said.

Terry Brady, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said a park ranger at the time saw lightning and went over a speaker system to alert swimmers to get out of the lake.

Within minutes, lightning was reported to have struck the water, but no individual swimmers directly, Brady said.

A preliminary investigation showed Lopez-Hernandez managed to get out of the water, but collapsed in the beach area, according to Brady. He was "unresponsive, blue and had no pulse," Brady said.

The park ranger administered an automated external defibrillator and CPR to Lopez-Hernandez, Brady said.

Lopez-Hernandez was initially taken to Gnaden Huetten Memorial Hospital in Lehighton and then airlifted at about 9:30 p.m. to Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest in Salisbury Township, where he was pronounced dead at 3:03 a.m.

The other man and his two children exhibited signs of "electrical shock" after getting out of the water, Brady said. The man and 12-year-old boy were taken to Palmerton Hospital for an evaluation, Brady said. The girl was not injured and their names were not released, he said.

Brady said all four were swimming up to their necks in the lake at the time of the lightning strike.

Raymond Anthony, morgue manager with the Lehigh County Coroner's Office, said an autopsy Monday will determine the exact cause and manner of death of Lopez-Hernandez.

The Lehigh County Coroner's Office and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources are conducting the investigation.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.