A father-of-four has died after he was fatally struck by lightning while jet skiing in Florida.
Steve Matheson was on the water with childhood friend David Cole Saturday afternoon when they were caught by a sudden storm in Fort De Soto, Tampa Bay.
The friends tried to make their way back to shore as the weather deteriorated and got as far as Shell Key island.
“He [Matheson] didn't feel comfortable staying on the island,” Cole told Fox 13. “He said ‘Let’s just try to beat the storm’.
“I saw a huge lightning bolt come from the top and hit the water and hit him. He was like this in the jet ski for three seconds after the lightning hit, so I was like: ‘Okay, that was a close call.’
“And then, all of a sudden, he goes limp and falls straight into the water face first.”
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office told The Independent its deputies found Matheson after responding to a call at around 6.35 p.m.
The 41-year-old, who was visiting from Saratoga Springs in Utah, was rushed to the hospital but pronounced dead.
Tributes have been paid to Matheson, who was described as a loving father who always helped others.
“He was the kind of husband and father who loved deeply, showed up fully, and made his family the center of his world,” family friend April Beck said on a GoFundMe page.
“Second place to that would be his love for football, especially BYU football.”
The GoFundMe campaign, launched to raise money for his family, has already generated over $70,000 out of its $100,000 goal.
Matheson was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a Brigham Young University football supporter, ABC4 reported.
Aaron R. Boone, another friend, shared a tribute on Facebook explaining they had been meant to play football together hours after the fatal incident.
“Steve and I played flag football together and even against each other for many years, and we always clicked,” he wrote.
“We shared a love for competition and football, but more importantly, a strong faith, a love for our families, and a soft spot for kids.
“Away from football over the years, we talked a lot about life, our kids, and the challenges that come with both. He gave me advice and support when I needed it, and I tried to do the same for him.”
Matheson’s death came less than a week after 31-year-old mom Kenya Glasgow and her two-year-old daughter Kennedi Rose were struck by lightning outside of a relative’s home in Margate, around an hour north of Miami. The pair were pronounced dead at the hospital.
While roughly 37 million lightning strikes hit the ground in the U.S. each year, the odds of being struck are less than one in a million, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s even rarer to die from a lightning strike, as nearly 90 percent of victims survive.
Millions of Cuisinart barbecue utensils recalled after people swallow metal brushes
The verdict is in: America hates Trump’s renaming of Lake Ontario
FBI eases hiring rules, won’t ban applicants over prostitution or bestiality
Obama called Stephen A Smith after he criticized Biden, commentator reveals
New York's plan to charge fossil-fuel producers $75B for climate change damages is struck down
Without buses running due to fuel crisis, 1.4 million students begin school in Cuba
