A Colorado man on his honeymoon was killed by a lightning strike while in ankle-deep water at a Florida beach, despite the storm being miles away, officials said. The incident, which is considered extremely rare, occurred on Friday afternoon as the man stood in ankle-deep water.
The victim, a 29-year-old man, was visiting from Colorado with his new bride when he was struck by lightning on Friday afternoon while he was standing in ankle-deep water, according to the Volusia County Beach Safety. The victim was taken to a local hospital in critical condition where he later died from his injuries, Volusia County Beach Safety Director Tammy Malphurs shared in an update on Monday with WESH.
Malphurs told the outlet that the storm was still miles away from the beach, making the strike an extremely rare occurrence. The witness described the scene to WESH, stating, “It was clear blue sky, and the storm was like miles away from us.”
Volusia County Mike Chitwood addressed the tragedy and also confirmed the victim was a tourist visiting on his honeymoon. “So sorry for the tragic loss of a young man here on a delayed honeymoon with his wife,” Chitwood wrote in a post on Facebook.
City officials confirmed to WTVG that two other people were also directly struck by lightning in New Smyrna Beach on Friday. Both victims were reportedly golfing at the Venetian Bay Golf Course when they were struck. However, neither person had to be taken to a hospital for treatment, according to the outlet.
Florida experiences more lightning strikes per square mile than any other state, averaging about 1.2 million lightning strikes each year, according to the Florida Department of Health. This was the first death caused by lightning in Florida in 2025.
So far, there have been at least 3 lightning-related deaths in 2025, taking place in North Carolina, Mississippi, and Texas, according to the National Weather Service.