One person was killed and three others were injured when lightning struck a group of swimmers off a Florida beach Friday afternoon, creating a blast witnesses compared to an atomic bomb.
The deadly strike happened at around 3 p.m. in the Gulf of Mexico off Fort Myers Beach, where summer visitors were swimming and wading near the shoreline.
An unidentified adult man was directly struck by the lightning and killed, according to Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District Chief Scott Wirth.
Three other swimmers who were in the water near the strike were injured and rushed to a nearby hospital. Sarah Rodriguez of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said all three appeared to be in stable condition.
Beachgoer Debra Crombie was vacationing in Fort Myers with her family when she saw the flash and heard the deafening explosion.
“All of a sudden, it sounded like an atomic bomb went off,” Crombie told WINK News.
“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. That’s how intense this was.”
One of Crombie’s relatives reportedly saw the lightning hit the water before the bolt appeared to split in two.
Moments later, children began racing away from the beach and back toward a nearby resort while screaming.
“At that point, we saw kids running off the beach back to our resort, and they were screaming,” Crombie recalled. “And I’m like, ‘Oh boy, I bet somebody got hit.’”
The man who was directly struck was pulled from the water, and bystanders attempted to perform CPR. However, he was already dead by the time emergency responders arrived, according to the report.
Crombie said she believed the victim had been staying at her resort with his family. She recalled seeing one of his children earlier in the day.
“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,” she said. “My heart just breaks for them.”
“It was supposed to be this beautiful experience on beautiful Fort Myers Beach, and now it’s not.”
The victim had not been formally identified as of Friday.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said the man and the other people involved had been traveling to another Florida city when they decided to stop at the beach along the way.
Authorities said it was not yet known whether the man was a Florida resident or was visiting from another state.
Crombie said the section of Fort Myers Beach where the strike occurred is normally quiet, but the Fourth of July holiday weekend had brought a considerable number of visitors to the area.
She suggested that some out-of-town beachgoers may not have understood the dangers of staying in the water during a thunderstorm.
“It makes you think these people can’t be from Florida,” she said. “They don’t understand how deadly the lightning is.”
“I’m not judging them, but we were looking at it like, ‘Why are the kids on the beach?’”
The tragedy unfolded as severe thunderstorms threatened parts of the East Coast during an intense heat wave ahead of the Fourth of July weekend. A so-called heat dome had also been trapping dangerously hot temperatures over much of the country.
Officials warned residents and tourists to closely monitor weather conditions before heading outdoors.
“We urge all residents, visitors, and beachgoers to monitor the weather prior to going outside,” the Lee County Sheriff’s Office wrote on X.
“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.”
Despite the fatal strike and poor weather, most of Fort Myers Beach remained open.
“The remainder of the beach, outside the established crime scene, remained open following the incident,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
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