Rodeiro (Spain) - A thunderstorm was gathering in the skies over northern Spain , coming ever closer to farmer Julia Pardo and her 30 cows with menacing thunder . She was already on her way back to the barn when the lightning suddenly struck right next to her. 27 cows died immediately, but Julia remained alive.

As the Spanish television station"Antena 3" reports, the devastating weather event occurred last Sunday in Rodeiro, a small town in the north-west of Spain.

The meadow where the 30 animals were grazing is a short distance from the barn and Julia had set off from home towards the farm to make sure that nothing happened to the cows.

But on the way back, the thunderstorm caught her cold. The rain pelted down on the young woman and just before she could reach the safety of the barn, disaster struck.

Lightning struck a pole transformer right next to her and was directed straight in her direction. The water in the wet floor caused the electricity from the lightning to be diverted in all directions. A total of 27 animals dropped dead instantly.

But miraculously, Julia remained unharmed.

As it turned out, Julia was wearing rubber boots due to the muddy ground and it was this choice of footwear that most likely saved her life. The rubber and the thick sole had not transmitted the electrical energy from the ground, so Julia remained unharmed.

Three cows survived the lightning strike, but it is questionable whether they will survive the long-term effects of such an impact or have to be euthanized. One of them is even pregnant.