LAKE ISABELLA, Calif. -- Tyler Simmons said his summer day started out like many; he was mowing a neighbor’s yard trying to make some extra bucks.

But when the 13-year-old was riding his bike home, he was suddenly thrown from it when a lightning bolt struck down.

Simmons said, "I was going back home, and then the lightning just hit me right here. I was in the middle of the road right here, and it threw me from the bike and in the dirt somewhere.”

Once his body hit the ground, Simmons said he thought he was going to die.

"I thought I was going to die because I looked down at my arm and I thought I got struck there. I just started screaming after I saw the blood. It was scary," said Simmons.

A neighbor called 911 and also called Simmons' mom, who was at work.

She said that phone call is every mother’s worst nightmare.

"I didn't think I could get here quick enough. My first response was, 'Oh no, is he breathing? You know, is he going to be OK?'" said Tammy Simmons.

Tyler Simmons was taken to Kern Valley Hospital, where he was put through tests, scans, and X-rays to make sure everything was OK.

His mom said, "I was just hoping everything was going to be OK and he didn’t have anything wrong, and once I got all the reports and knew nothing was wrong, I was just relieved that my son was OK."

Tests show a surge of electricity did go through the boy's body, but doctors said the lightning bolt did not hit him directly.

It may have struck his bike or the ground nearby.

And while everyone is relieved Tyler Simmons is OK, there is a new rule in the Simmons household.

"I just tell him, now, if there's a thunderstorm, you are inside," Tammy Simmons said.

It's a rule the 13-year-old won't be challenging.

Tyler Simmons said he is still sore in his ribs, arms, and legs and is walking with a slight limp, but he’s expected to make a full recovery.

And he said he is excited to get back to mowing lawns and making some summer cash.