One person was killed and three others injured after a lightning strike hit a group of beachgoers swimming in the Gulf of Mexico at Fort Myers Beach, Florida, on Friday afternoon.
The incident occurred at about 3 p.m. on July 3, when the group was in the water as a thunderstorm moved through the area.
According to the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District, one unidentified man was struck directly by the lightning and died at the scene. Three other swimmers who were wading nearby sustained injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Fire Control District Chief Scott Wirth said emergency responders attempted life-saving measures on the man after he was pulled from the water, but he was pronounced dead.
Sarah Rodriguez of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said the three injured individuals were in stable condition.
Witnesses described the lightning strike as an extremely powerful explosion that sent beachgoers running for safety.
“All of a sudden, it sounded like an atomic bomb went off,” beachgoer Debra Crombie told local media.
“I could see the flash, and I couldn’t see at that moment where it had hit, but I knew it had hit either on the beach or right at the shoreline,” she said.
“It was so bright our ears hurt, our eyes were blinded by it, like that’s how intense this was.”
Crombie, who was on vacation with her family, said one of her relatives witnessed the lightning strike the water before it appeared to split into two.
“And so at that point, we saw kids running off the beach back to our resort and they were screaming and I’m like, ‘Oh boy, I bet somebody got hit,'” she said.
She added that she believes the deceased man was staying at the same resort with his family.
“We saw his child earlier in the day, and everyone was crying on and off, and I just can’t stop thinking about this family, and my heart just breaks for them,” she said.
“It was supposed to be this beautiful experience on beautiful Fort Myers Beach and now it’s not.”
The tragedy serves as a reminder of the dangers posed by lightning during thunderstorms. Weather authorities consistently advise swimmers and beachgoers to leave the water immediately at the first sign of thunder or lightning, as water is an excellent conductor of electricity and can transmit a lightning strike over a considerable distance.
