“A lot of people shed a lot of tears,” says Bryan Lieberman of the lightning strike that killed one of his friends and critically injured another

The Fernandez family with Kelsey Skoog and Yuri Botehlo; James Fernandez.Credit : Courtesy of the Fernandez Family (2)

A 41-year-old father is back in the U.S. after he survived a lightning strike that killed his friend, but he still faces a long road to recovery.

In late November, the two men were on vacation in Peru with their wives and babies when lightning struck as they were while biking down a mountain on Nov. 26.

“A lot of people shed a lot of tears in that two-week span,” Bryan Lieberman says of the chaotic and painful days after his best friend, James Fernandez, broke his neck and injured his spinal cord.

Fernandez’s friend, Yuri Botehlo, 36, died in the same lightning strike.

“We were grieving for Yuri, and we were terrified for my friend who’s critically injured,” continues Lieberman, 41, who was not on the trip, but quickly stepped up to do anything he could for Fernandez and his family.

As his body heals, Fernandez is mourning his friend and the future he had planned.

“He’s really sad,” says Lieberman. “His wife is trying to stay strong for him, but this is obviously difficult for her, too. No one wants this for a loved one.”

Fernandez’s wife Alexis is also close with Botehlo’s wife, Kelsey Skoog — and Lieberman tells PEOPLE the couples quickly became friends, fueled in part by their love of adventure.

“They all really adore each other,” says Lieberman.

The trip to Peru during Thanksgiving break — where Fernandez, a middle school science teacher, had previously worked as a guide for a tour bike company — was “a chance to go see a beautiful place,” Lieberman says.

The day before the holiday, on Nov. 26, Fernandez, Botehlo and a Peruvian tour guide, 35-year-old Dani Peralta, were almost 14,000 feet above sea level, in the Occoruro–Yaurisque area, near the border of the Paruro and Cusco provinces, when a lightning storm hit and Botehlo was fatally struck, the Associated Press, CBS News, and Andina previously reported.

Peralta was unharmed, while Fernandez was seriously injured.

James Fernandez.Courtesy of the Fernandez Family

From his hospital bed, Fernandez told loved ones that he remembered seeing a “flash” that came “out of nowhere” before he went unconscious.

When he came to, Fernandez realized he shouldn’t be moved and asked Peralta to go get help, which arrived a couple of hours later. However, it would be another day or two before Botehlo’s body was retrieved.

Around the same time of the freak accident, Lieberman was in South Florida visiting his parents and was puzzled when Fernandez didn’t respond to his text. The next day, he received a message from Fernandez’s mother: “Please call me.”

“All that they knew was Yuri didn’t make it,” he recalls of that initial conversation, “and that James was in a hospital and fighting for his life.”

The Inca Trail near Cusco, Peru.Getty

Following the call, Lieberman rushed to his friend’s childhood home, which became a command center of sorts as they attempted to fill a “big information gap.”

“His dad was on the phone trying to organize Medevac for James and trying to communicate with the director of the hospital in Cusco, where he was originally,” says Leiberman of attempts to learn more about Fernandez’s status.

The families were also fearful for the two women, now left alone to navigate a foreign health care system as they cared for their infants. (Fernandez, who also has an 8-year-old son from a previous relationship, welcomed a son with his wife in June, while the Botehlos became parents in 2024.)

“We were terrified,” says Lieberman.

As soon as they learned what had happened, loved ones immediately rallied to support the two moms. “Kelsey’s life and her baby’s life are never going to be the same without Yuri,” says Lieberman, adding that “Alexis and James also have a very long journey in front of them.”

Alexis and James Fernandez with their baby son.Courtesy of the Fernandez Family

Lieberman organized a GoFundMe for his best friend to help with the exorbitant cost of medical care and medical transportation from Peru to the U.S., as well as long-term care and support for his family.

Just over a week after the devastating accident, Fernandez made it back home to Florida, where he remained in intensive care until Dec. 22, when he was transferred to a rehabilitation center in Atlanta. Following the transfer, his wife, their kids and his parents all came too, determined to stay by his wife until he was ready to come back home.

Since then, he’s been making “amazing” strides and is now eating regular food and fully off his ventilator.

“From what his doctor said, that there’s not a lot of people with his type of injury that even ever get off of the ventilator,” Lieberman says.

Although that dad of two will most likely need a wheelchair, he and his family are hopeful that he’ll regain movement in his upper arms above his elbows.

Separately, a GoFundMe to support Botehlo’s young family has garnered more than $100,000.

As Fernandez recovers, his family and community continue to shower him with love and support.

“A lot of people are really anxious to see James and to wish him well,” says Lieberman. “He’s excited to see all the people that care so much about him — and that time is coming soon.”