Girl, 8, killed by lightning strike in LaSalle County, coroner's office says

LaSALLE COUNTY, Ill. (WLS) -- It has been nearly eight years since the last time someone died from a lightning strike in Illinois. It's a reminder of how rare and sudden such tragedies can be.

Kinslee Tschida, 8, was struck and killed Friday just hours after her grandfather, Chris Scheib, said goodbye to her. The strike happened as she was getting off a swing in the backyard of her home in Serena, with the approaching storm still appearing to be far off in the distance.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Scheib, who works on a farm and is familiar with the dangers of lightning, said the moments leading up to the strike offered no clear warning.

"He said he just heard a rumble and said, 'hey, get off now.' Turned around and just like that," Scheib said. "It was 15 to 18 feet away from the house. And five, 10 seconds she would have been fine."

According to the National Lighting Safety Council, Tschida's death is only the fourth lightning fatality in the United States this year. Scheib said there was nothing his family could have done differently.

"There was no warning at all. There was no warning," he said. "My other granddaughter was standing 3 to 4 feet away."

SEE ALSO: 2 of 3 children killed after boat capsized on Geneva Lake identified by Wheaton family fundraiser

Tschida's grandparents described her as an old soul. At school, they said, she was known as the Queen Bee.

"She did have a way of walking in the room. She was a presence," Scheib said.

Her death has devastated the family, Scheib said. But an outpouring of love and support from the community has helped them as they begin to navigate life without her.

"Grandkids, they say you spoil them more. It's probably true," he said. "But you spend more time teaching them things you forgot to teach your own kids."

Tschida's wake is being planned for Monday. She will be buried the following day in Marseilles.

The incident is under investigation by the coroner's office and the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

A GoFundMe has been created for the family.