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Young Man, Who Recovered After Being Struck By Lightning, Helping Flood-Stricken W. Va.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Just over 100 volunteers from the Pittsburgh area are back home, after a week-long stay in West Virginia where they did mission work for the poor and needy.

The group is from St. Simon & Jude Church in Green Tree and St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Glenshaw.

The volunteers were in the small town of Webster Springs, which was among the communities hard hit by floods after torrential rains hit that area this week.

west-virginia-flooding-photo
(Photo Courtesy: Sean Ferguson)

One of the church volunteers was Sean Ferguson of Hampton.

In a cell phone interview with KDKA-TV's Ralph Iannotti, Ferguson said some of the scenes were "heartbreaking and overwhelming."

"A family that we've known down here for five years, one of their transformers that's near their house actually came through their home, right into their living room," Ferguson said.

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Last year, Ferguson was struck by lightning while walking on the campus of the University of Dayton in Ohio, where he was attending school.

He was burned over a third of his body, but made a miraculous recovery.

Ferguson graduated from the school last December.

As for helping the flood victims, Ferguson said he had mixed feelings about leaving West Virginia.

"We came down here to help people in need, but now there's more work to be done than ever [because of the flooding]," Ferguson said.

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