A Winter Park family is describing a terrifying close call with lightning that left them shaken and sent all three to the hospital.

Evgenia Pamer says she, her husband and their 5-year-old son were walking near Lake Baldwin Wednesday evening when the weather suddenly changed.

“It sounded like an explosion,” Pamer said.

The family had started their walk while watching a beautiful sunset. Moments later, they heard what sounded like a tree cracking and saw sparks on the ground.

Pamer says the lightning struck no more than 20 feet away.

“My hair was all standing up. I could feel the static. I tasted iron, blood in my mouth,” she said.

Pamer says her husband experienced similar symptoms. He has an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, or ICD, because of a previous heart condition.

After the family reached a safe location, Pamer says her husband began feeling dizzy and nearly fainted. She says she experienced ear pain, shaking, nausea and a severe headache.

“I just didn’t feel like myself,” she said.

All three family members went to the hospital, where they had their heart rates checked. Pamer says she and her son were fine, but doctors kept a closer watch on her husband after tests showed heightened heart activity.

Pamer says the experience has left her traumatized and urges others to take storms seriously.

“Anything you do, make sure you have a plan. Have a plan A, plan B. If it rains, this is what I’m going to do. If it storms, this is what I’m going to do,” she said.

The National Weather Service advises people to move indoors when they hear thunder and never use trees as shelter.

When thunder roars, head indoors.