Jake Rosencranz, a 29-year-old Colorado man, was at a Florida beach, enjoying his delayed honeymoon with his wife. While knees-deep in the water, suddenly, a lightning bolt struck him. He would die a day later, succumbing to his injuries.
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According to WSVN, the incident occurred on Friday, June 20, at the 27th Avenue Beach in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. The Volusia County Beach Safety (VCBS) stated that Rosencranz, identified by The Daytona Beach News-Journal, was knee-deep in the water at around 12:30 p.m.
All of a sudden, a lightning bolt took everyone by surprise, striking Rosencruz while in the water.
VCBS Deputy Chief A.J. Miller revealed that, present at the scene, was a nurse who managed to start CPR on the man.
Several witnesses in the area were horrified by the sighting, saying that everyone mobilized to help the man.
“That guy was, what I could tell, was in the water, and somebody tried to drag him out, and then they got help,” witness Patrick Eichstaedt told WSVN. “Next thing you know, the lifeguard’s here and paramedics and everybody.”
Echstaedt immediately knew something had gone terribly wrong, as chess compressions started “immediately.”
Witness George Kirk called the lightning strike “the most crackling electrical hit you could imagine.”
Fatally Struck
Jake Rosencranz was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. A day later, unfortunately, as per The Daytona Beach News-Journal, the 29-year-old man succumbed to his injuries.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, who previously shared the incident on social media, posted the sad news of Rosencranz’s passing.
“So sorry for the tragic loss of a young man here on a delayed honeymoon with his wife,” Chitwood wrote. “At 29 years old, he should have had many more anniversaries with her for years to come.”
“Sending sincere condolences to this young woman on behalf of all of us in Volusia County who were hoping against hope that the diligent efforts of our lifeguards, EMS team, and ER staff would bring him back to her.”
As per VCBS Deputy Chief A.J. Miller, what killed Rosencranz is known as a “blue sky lightning strike, as reported by WSVN. These lightning strikes can take place 20 miles from the actual storm, which explains why the bolt struck while the sky was clear.
Reportedly, two other people in Volusia County were indirectly struck by lightning while golfing. None needed to be hospitalized.