A golfer from New Jersey died after he was struck by lightning during a golf tournament. According to his obituary, 28-year-old Simon John Mariani passed away on Monday, July 14, after lightning struck him on July 8.
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Lightning Strikes And Kills New Jersey Golfer During Tournament
While competing at the Ballyowen Golf Club in Hardyston, a bolt of lightning zapped him on the 15th hole, ABC 7 reported. Rough thunderstorms were rolling through the area that day, but that didn’t stop the golfers from playing.
A fellow golfer, Brian Delia, witnessed the freak accident himself. Not only that, but Delia took a chilling photo of the thunderclouds while they were on the 14th hole. This was just half an hour before the lightning hit.
“I was like ‘is this going to be a tornado that’s actually happening,'” said Delia. “One of the guys that we were golfing with, he works at another golf course, and he was like ‘we need to get out of here.'”
Delia then began filming, but abruptly ended the video when the lightning struck down. He also recalled the victim’s father appearing distraught as an ambulance took his son away.
“I can only imagine what he was going through,” Delia added. “He was being driven off the golf course to, I guess, the hospital where his son was being helicopter lifted to.”
Oddly enough, Delia claimed the golfers had no idea a thunderstorm would roll through the area. “Nobody did say anything to us,” he said. “We didn’t hear any horns to get off the course at all, they started blowing the horns when we were back at the clubhouse and that was after the police were already out there.”
In a statement from Crystal Springs Resort, it confirmed that lightning injured one of its guests. It also said the staff triggered warning horns to clear the course.
Mariani’s obituary described him as “driven, dedicated, smart, likeable and exceptionally talented.” The golfer graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2019 with an undergraduate degree. He then received a Master’s in Finance in 2024.
During his personal life, Mariani enjoyed hobbies like painting, photography, and even baking. He was an outdoorsy person who adored boating, fishing, hiking, skiing, and, of course, golfing.
He is survived by his parents, Scott and Kathleen Mariani, and his sisters, Samantha and Sophia.