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A Pinellas County science teacher suffered a catastrophic crash when lightning struck him as he cycled down a mountain in the Peruvian Andes last week.

James Fernandez, 41, was riding downhill with another tourist and their guide near Cusco, Peru on Nov. 26 when lightning struck all three men. Fernandez’s friend, Minnesota resident Yuri Botelho, was killed on the spot.

Fernandez survived the strike but lost consciousness on his bike, friends said, before suffering a crash that broke his neck. The guide also was seriously injured but managed to call for help.

Fernandez underwent surgery to relieve complications from his injuries that were making breathing difficult, said Austin Mautner, a close friend. Fernandez had been in and out of conscio

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