Dad Saw a Sudden ‘Flash’ While Biking on Vacation. When He Woke Up, His Neck Was Broken and His Friend Was Dead

A 41-year-old father is back in the U.S. after surviving a lightning strike that killed one of his close friends during a family trip to Peru — but his recovery is expected to be long and difficult.

The incident happened in late November, when the men were vacationing in Peru with their wives and young children. On Nov. 26, lightning struck while they were biking down a mountain.

“A lot of people shed a lot of tears in that two-week span,” says Bryan Lieberman, describing the frantic days after his best friend, James Fernandez, suffered a broken neck and a spinal cord injury.

Another friend, Yuri Botehlo, 36, was killed in the same strike.

“We were grieving for Yuri, and we were terrified for my friend who’s critically injured,” continues Lieberman, 41, who wasn’t on the trip but moved quickly to help Fernandez’s family.

As Fernandez’s body heals, he’s also grieving the loss of his friend — and the future he had imagined.

“He’s really sad,” Lieberman says. “His wife is trying to stay strong for him, but this is obviously difficult for her, too. No one wants this for a loved one.”

Lieberman says Fernandez’s wife, Alexis, is also close with Botehlo’s wife, Kelsey Skoog — and that the couples bonded through a shared love of adventure.

“They all really adore each other,” says Lieberman.

The Peru trip, planned during Thanksgiving break, was meant to be a chance to experience the country together. Fernandez, a middle school science teacher, had previously worked in Peru as a guide for a tour bike company.

On Nov. 26, Fernandez, Botehlo, and a Peruvian tour guide, Dani Peralta, 35, were nearly 14,000 feet above sea level in the Occoruro–Yaurisque area, near the border of the Paruro and Cusco provinces, when a lightning storm hit. Botehlo was fatally struck, while Peralta was unharmed and Fernandez was left severely injured, according to prior reports from the Associated Press, CBS News, and Andina.

From his hospital bed, Fernandez later told loved ones he remembered seeing a sudden “flash” before he lost consciousness. When he regained awareness, he realized he shouldn’t be moved and asked Peralta to get help. Assistance arrived a couple of hours later. Botehlo’s body, however, wasn’t recovered for another day or two.

At the time, Lieberman was in South Florida visiting his parents and grew concerned when Fernandez didn’t reply to a text. The next day, a message came from Fernandez’s mother: “Please call me.”

“All that they knew was Yuri didn’t make it,” Lieberman recalls of that first conversation, “and that James was in a hospital and fighting for his life.”

Lieberman soon rushed to Fernandez’s childhood home, which turned into a makeshift command center as the families tried to gather reliable updates and organize urgent logistics.

“His dad was on the phone trying to organize Medevac for James and trying to communicate with the director of the hospital in Cusco, where he was originally,” Lieberman says, describing what he calls a “big information gap” in the first hours and days.

The families were also deeply worried about the two women, suddenly navigating a foreign medical system while caring for infants. Fernandez, who also has an 8-year-old son from a previous relationship, welcomed a baby with Alexis in June. The Botehlos became parents in 2024.

“We were terrified,” says Lieberman.

Loved ones quickly rallied around both mothers. “Kelsey’s life and her baby’s life are never going to be the same without Yuri,” Lieberman says, adding, “Alexis and James also have a very long journey in front of them.”

Lieberman organized a GoFundMe for Fernandez to help cover the high cost of medical care, transportation back to the U.S., and long-term support for his family.

Just over a week after the accident, Fernandez returned to Florida and remained in intensive care until Dec. 22, when he was transferred to a rehabilitation center in Atlanta. His wife, children, and parents relocated as well so they could remain close during his treatment.

Since then, Lieberman says Fernandez has made “amazing” progress: he’s eating regular food and is fully off a ventilator.

“From what his doctor said, there’s not a lot of people with his type of injury that even ever get off of the ventilator,” Lieberman says.

Doctors have told the family Fernandez will most likely need a wheelchair. Still, they remain hopeful he’ll regain movement in his upper arms above the elbows.

A separate GoFundMe to support Botehlo’s family has raised more than $100,000.

As Fernandez continues rehabilitation, Lieberman says support from friends and the community has been constant.

“A lot of people are really anxious to see James and to wish him well,” he says. “He’s excited to see all the people that care so much about him — and that time is coming soon.”