The Opp couple found dead in their West Hart Avenue backyard was struck by lightning, Covington County Coroner Norman Hobson said Thursday.

“They had gone outside, and had some chickens in a metal cage,” Hobson said. “They went outside to cover the chickens up with a piece of tarpaulin, and while they were trying to cover them up, lightning struck the tree and ran down a branch and hit her and him.”

The identities of those killed — Miguel Belnar and Sharon G. Fletcher — were released earlier today by the Opp Police Department.

Hobson said the Alabama Department of Forensics confirmed the cause of death.

The time of death hasn’t been determined, Hobson said.

Hobson said that the gentleman left work around 4 p.m. Tuesday, and the OPD confirmed to him that there was a bad lightning storm in the city that day.

“A co-worker came and found them,” he said.