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Yes, you want the very skies to open when you propose to the love of your life, just ... definitely not like this. In fact, we can barely get over how terribly macabre this piece of news is.

Richard Butler, 30, took his girlfriend, Bethany Lott, 25, hiking in the North Carolina mountains, in order to propose. While it had been storming on and off throughout the day, Bethany, an aspiring park ranger, was undeterred. Meanwhile, Richard had a ring in his pocket and planned to pop the question at the top of the mountain.

Only they never made it. A fresh storm suddenly began as the couple was on the trail. Lightning burst around them, and both were struck. Bethany, who was a few feet ahead of Richard, was killed instantly.

Butler himself was spun 180 degrees by the bolt. "My legs turned to Jell-O, my shoes were smoking, and the bottom of my feet felt like they were on fire," he says. Still he tried performing CPR for 15 minutes on Bethany, to no avail.

We're fairly certain this is the worst proposal story we have ever heard. And while we're well aware a tragedy is a tragedy no matter the circumstances, it seems like something's gotten into the universe: Poor Richard's horribly derailed proposal is the second very particular, should-be-happy event to fall under the shadow of a natural disaster.

This past week saw the death of Ted Kranz, killed by debris from one of the tornadoes that recently blew across Ohio. Kranz was the father of Millbury, Ohio's high school valedictorian, who was set to graduate on Sunday.

So what gives, nature? We know it's not right to ask that if you're going to act up, to please do it in closer proximity to the pedophile ward at the local prison and leave a wide berth for folks on the cusp of a happy, life-changing event. But seriously, cut it out. Richard's not alone in asking simply -- as he does in this video -- why?