BOONE COUNTY -- Update: Thursday, June 18, 12:38 p.m.

Woman struck by lightning is confirmed dead.

Boone co-medical examiner says 23 year old Georgette Tillet died from a lightning strike Wednesday night. She was from Waynesville and just recently graduated from Central Methodist college in Fayette.

 Updated: Thursday, June 18, 5:32 a.m.

The status of a Columbia woman hit by lightning last night remains unknown.

Boone County firefighters say the 23-year-old, who’s name has not been released, was hit as she was walking through a field on Peabody Road near rocky Fork Conservation area around 7:30 p.m.

They say she was taken to University Hospital unconscious and not breathing.

Firefighters say the woman had been fishing and was heading headed inside with two other people when this storm was approaching. The woman's friends say she fell to the ground and was not breathing. They began CPR during a 911 call.

Firefighters say they had a hard time finding the area- they drove and searched on foot. Four of their vehicles were stuck in mud in the field.

Once emergency crews found the victim they continued CPR and carried her to the nearest road- half a mile away.

The weather was too bad for the staff for life helicopter so crews say they placed the victim on the back of a flat bed pickup and rushed her to a waiting ambulance.

Tips on lightning safety:

-Avoid water, high ground and open spaces during a storm.
-Stay away from metal objects like electric wires, fences and power tools.
-Don't seek shelter underneath canopies, small picnic shelters, or near trees; go to a building or vehicle with the windows shut.

If lightning strikes nearby:

-Crouch down, put feet together, and place hands over your ears.
-Stay away from other people.
-Lightning can strike as far as 10 miles from a storm. If you can hear thunder, you could be hit.

Stay safe indoors:

-Stay off corded phones, computers and other electrical equipment.
-Stay away from pools (indoor or outdoor), tubs, showers and other plumbing.
-When inside, wait 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder, before going outside again.

Helping a Lightning Strike Victim: 

-Lightning victims do not carry an electrical charge, are safe to touch, and need urgent medical attention.
-Call 9-1-1 immediately and perform CPR if the person is unresponsive or not breathing.