A lightning strike at a Florida beach left one person dead and three others injured Friday afternoon, turning a day on the Gulf into a scene witnesses described as explosive and terrifying.
The group was in the water at Fort Myers Beach around 3 p.m. when lightning hit, according to WINK News.
Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District Chief Scott Wirth said an unidentified man was struck directly and later died. Three other swimmers who were wading nearby were also hurt and taken to a local hospital.
Officials had not immediately released details on the conditions of the injured beachgoers.
“All of a sudden, it sounded like an atomic bomb went off,” beachgoer Debra Crombie told WINK News.
Crombie said the flash was so sudden and powerful that she could not immediately tell where it had made contact, though she believed it hit either the sand or the shoreline.
“It was so bright our ears hurt, our eyes were blinded by it, like that’s how intense this was,” she said.
Crombie, who was visiting Fort Myers, Fla., with her family for their annual vacation, said one relative saw the bolt hit the water before it appeared to “split in 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.
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The man who was directly struck was pulled from the water and CPR measures were attempted, but he had died by the time emergency responders arrived at the scene, the outlet reported.
Crombie believes the tragic beachgoer was staying at her 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 vacationer said that while the stretch of Fort Myers Beach that was hit is rarely crowded, there were “a considerable number of people” from out of town who may not have been aware of the risks of swimming during thunderstorms.
“It makes you think these people can’t be from Florida. They don’t understand how deadly the lightning is,” she said.
“I’m not judging them but…we were looking at it like why are the kids on the beach?”
Thunderstorms are also predicted to hit parts of the East Coast throughout the Fourth of July weekend — as a “heat dome” has been engulfing much of the country.
Officials are warning beachgoers about the potential safety risks involved.
“We urge all residents, visitors, and beachgoers to monitor the weather prior to going outside. If you observe lightning in the immediate area: stay out of the water, seek immediate shelter, and stay clear of loose or tall objects that could pose a risk or injury,” the Lee County Sheriff’s Office wrote on X.
The Post has reached out to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
