A freak accident killed a Texas father and left his young son fighting for his life after lightning struck the pair outside their home. Matthew Boggs, 34, and his son Grayson, 6, were waiting for his older brother at the bus stop shortly after 5 p.m. Monday when a storm rolled into the small town of Valley Hills. Thunder clapped, followed by a bolt of lightning that killed Matthew and left young Grayson lying on the ground.
Family and friends rushed to the father and son as they watched the tragedy unfold. Sadly, Matthew died from injuries caused by the lightning strike. Today, Grayson lies in Baylor Scott & White McLane Children's Medical Center while loved ones pray for a miracle. The one bit of solace his family has found is that the pair were holding hands when life changed forever.
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Matthew's boys had just gotten off the bus.
Matthew Boggs' mother, Angela Boggs, told Fox Weather that her son looked forward to picking up his boys from the bus daily and would sometimes wait 20 minutes to greet them.
"He would just sit there and wait on his kids," she said. "He was a good, loving father. He loved his kids. His kids were everything to him."
Monday evening, the boys' bus arrived, and as usual, Matthew was there waiting. As the boys got off the bus, 11-year-old Elijah went left and Grayson and his dad went right. As the trio separated, they heard a loud clap of thunder and the lightning struck.
"Matthew was holding (Grayson's) hand," Angela Boggs told Fox Weather. "He just got done telling Grayson, 'I love you, buddy,' and that's when the lightning hit."
At first, Elijah thought it was a joke.
The preteen told KWTX he went to his father and brother, and when he rolled Grayson over, he had a bit of a smirk. He thought the pair were playing a trick.
"I was really scared. I rolled Grayson over and he was kind of smiling a little bit. I thought they were just joking, but when I rolled my dad over the middle of his head was bleeding and his face was already purple," Elijah said.
Elijah made it to his family first, followed by his grandmother and neighbors, who attempted life-saving measures to save Matthew. Emergency personnel could not revive him.
Grayson is fighting.
The boy has major after-effects of the lightning strike. According to Fox Weather, he is in a coma attached to a ventilator and has seizures often. His internal organs are beginning to heal, and he is reacting to pain, but it remains to be seen how much brain damage the lighting may have caused.
"We're holding onto our faith and holding together," Angela Boggs told the news outlet. "We've got a big, strong church family that is with us and never has left us since that's happened."
The grandmother's faith remains strong as she holds on to precious memories of her son and grandson.
"Gods got it. I believe that, that's my faith. God has him in his healing arms right now," the grieving grandmother told KWTX as she prayed that she would not lose her grandson.
The 6-year-old and his dad were close, Angela Boggs told Fox Weather. They often wrestled around and pretended to be WWE stars. The pair loved to play together, and the family was active in their church.
"Without Him, it could have taken them both," she told Fox Weather through tears. "Without Him, we wouldn't get through this at all without God. He is our Lord and Savior, and he doesn't give you too much that you could handle. He's always with us. Always."
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The family's loved ones are raising money to aid with financial hardships.
A GoFundMe page was established to help with Grayson's medical bills and to take Matthew's body back to his home state of Indiana.
"There is not much to update at this time, but, I wanted to jump on and thank everyone for their generosity. Grayson is still fighting, but right now we are watching him closely for any brain swelling," cousin Stephanie Burris, the page organizer, wrote Tuesday. "Please continue to pray! Pray for Grayson, Pray for Elijah, Pray for Kayla, Angel, and the whole Boggs family as they navigate this most difficult time."
Supporters shared love and prayers. "Stay strong, Elijah and please don't give up Grayson. I'm praying for your family," one donor wrote.
"May Gods healing hands be on this precious soul, may He give everyone a peace that surpasses all understanding and may God do what He is famous for! (Song Famous For, Tauren Wells)," another donor wrote in prayer.
According to data from the National Weather Service, this is the third fatal lightning strike in the United States this year and the first in Texas. In 2022, 19 Americans died from lightning strike injuries.
