Fox 35 out of Florida has reported the death of a 27-year-old man who was struck by lightning while mowing over the weekend.
According to the news report, he was the first reported lightning-related death in Florida in 2022. The incident took place at New Smyrna Beach, near Orlando.
The man was tending to a lawn as part of a landscaping project as a thunderstorm approached. He was reportedly knocked unconscious when lightning struck a nearby palm tree.
"The lightning struck, and he was right next to it," the victim's cousin told FOX 35 Orlando. He was 20 feet away when the lightning struck. Doctors believed the charge ran down the tree and into the ground. It then struck the victim's foot and charged right through his body, FOX 35 said.
The man spent about a week on life support after the lightning strike.
Seven men have died from lightning-related causes so far in July, according to the National Lightning Safety Council.
Read more here.
