Moment nine year old boy is struck by lightning captured on doorbell camera footage

Doorbell camera footage captured the moment a young boy was struck by lightning, leaving him fighting for his life.

The nine-year-old boy was swimming during a storm at Warilla Beach in Shellharbour, south of Wollongong, on Thursday afternoon.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Little boy struck by lightning.

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Apparently, the boy was struck by lightning and suffered cardiac arrest.

He was pulled from the water and taken to Westmead Children’s Hospital.

His condition was originally reported as critical but has since been updated to critical but stable.

Footage has since surfaced from a house across the street showing a bolt of lightning falling from the sky into the water.

Terry Morrow, an ICU paramedic, told Sunrise Friday a local doctor was at the beach with her family at the time, helping paramedics with CPR.

“When the ambulances arrived they continued CPR on the boy and got a heartbeat back and also got his breathing back,” he said on Sunrise.

A witness told 7NEWS they were taking pictures when they heard the lightning strike.

“I turned around, I saw the child and the parents, they were crying and holding (the child),” they said.

“They came to shore (and there was someone) and said ‘help, help, help’.”

The incident came shortly after officials issued a severe thunderstorm alert for the region, warning of giant hail, damaging winds and heavy rain.

Morrow said a helicopter dispatched by emergency services Thursday was unable to fly the boy to the hospital due to the conditions.

“We tried to get the helicopter to come from the base to the beach, but due to bad weather at that time, there was lightning, thunder and sudden downpour, they couldn’t do that,” he said.

“We organized an intensive care ambulance with a doctor and an intensive care paramedic to take the young child to Westmead Children’s Hospital.”

The Bureau of Meteorology says anyone swimming or surfing in a storm should get out of the water immediately.

Those seeking protection should stay away from metal poles, clotheslines, fences and should not carry an umbrella with them. When indoors, avoid walking barefoot on brick or concrete floors.

If the shelter is too far away, crouch in a trough with your feet together.

– with AAP