8-Year-Old Girl Dies After Being Struck by Lightning While Playing in Backyard

An Illinois family is grieving an unimaginable loss after an 8-year-old girl was struck by lightning while playing in the backyard of her home.

Kinslee Tschida died after the tragic incident in Serena on Friday, July 3, according to reports from WGN and WLS.

“It’s unfathomable, it’s unrealistic, it’s hard to grasp,” her grandfather, Chris Scheib, told WGN.

That evening, Kinslee had been playing outside with her cousins when a storm began moving into the area. Family members, including multiple adults, started heading inside after hearing a rumble of thunder.

Scheib, who was not at the home when the lightning struck, said Kinslee’s uncle had told her and his daughter to get off the swing set. But the warning came just moments too late.

“Kinslee was just climbing off, and all of a sudden, in an instant,” Scheib said. “I mean, there was no warning, and there was no lightning. It came right in between the tree.”

Another little girl who had been standing just feet away was not hurt.

Adults at the home, including Kinslee’s mother, who is a nurse, immediately performed CPR as they tried desperately to save her. Kinslee was taken to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead, according to WGN.

Scheib said he received a phone call about the devastating incident, and the loss has left the entire family shattered.

“I never had to deal with this in my life until now, and it’s changed me,” he said. “I think we’re all broken.”

The LaSalle County Coroner’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment, and the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office said it had no further comment.

As loved ones try to process Kinslee’s death, a GoFundMe has been launched to help the family with funeral expenses and medical costs.

Organizer Samantha Wallace described Kinslee as a “bright light” who loved to sing, dance and bring joy to the people around her.

“Her loud, unforgettable laugh could fill an entire room,” Wallace wrote. “And her smile had a way of making even the hardest days a little brighter.”

“She loved with a heart far bigger than her small frame, and anyone who had the privilege of knowing her was touched by her kindness, energy and love,” Wallace added.