A Utah father of four has been killed after being struck by lightning while riding a jet ski in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Steve Matheson, 47, was jet skiing off the coast in Fort De Soto Park when a bolt of lightning struck him down Saturday evening. The accident happened around 6.30pm.
According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Matheson was taken to the hospital where he later passed away.
‘It’s usually the first lightning strikes that tend to be the most dangerous because people may not be aware what’s coming even if the sky is starting to look dark and threatening,’ said Robert Molleda, a National Weather Service Meteorologist.
Molleda told USA TODAY: ‘The storms in the summer develop very quickly. That first rumble of thunder might be too late.’
Matheson’s family has created a GoFundMe fundraiser in support of his wife and children as they navigate their loss. April Beck, the organizer, has shared that the money is being raised to help bring Matheson’s body back to his home state of Utah.
The fundraiser message described him as ‘a wonderful man, devoted husband, and loving father.’ They mentioned how he adored his wife, Abbie and his four children he left behind.
‘His family was his greatest joy, and he cherished every moment he was able to spend with them. He was the kind of husband and father who loved deeply, showed up fully, and made his family the center of his world,’ said the message.
Steve Matheson, a Utah father-of-four (middle) has been killed after being struck by lightning while riding a jet ski in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Matthewson was jet skiing off the coast in Fort De Soto Park when a bolt of lightning struck him down Saturday evening. According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Matheson was taken to the hospital where he later passed away
His loved ones have raised over $38,000 of their $100,000 goal as support continues to grow.
One supporter commented: ‘We’ll miss you Steve, you’ll always be our football brother. ‘
Another said: ‘We love you so much, Steve & Abbie. I hope to have the strength to live like you. I miss you and will do all we can to help your family.’
This fatal tragedy marks the third deadly lightning strike in Florida in less than a week.
Kenya Glasgow, 31, and her two-year-old daughter were found lying on the sidewalk after being struck down in Margate city on August 23.
Her husband Kameron said he was sitting in the car with their other daughter when he saw his wife hit by a flash of light.
‘I got the actual aftershock from the ground. By the grace of God, I’m still here as well,’ Glasgow told the outlet. He described it as ‘the worst feeling in the world.’
Later in that same day, paramedics rushed a child to a trauma center after they were struck by lightning near Boynton Beach.
Matheson’s passing is the 13th lightning death in the US this year, as reports have been scattered across multiple states.
This past May, Michael Aiden Vargas, 18, was killed while kayaking in Blackwater River in Santa Rosa County. The high school senior was tossed out of his boat after a freak lightning strike. It took several dive teams over ten hours to find his missing body.
Kenya Glasgow with her husband, Kameron, and their two daughters, Kennedi and Kensli. The mother and daughter were found lying on the sidewalk after being struck down by lightning in Margate, Florida
Michael Aidan Vargas, 18, was kayaking with his father on the Blackwater River when he was struck by lightning in Santa Rosa County, Florida
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida has famously been known as the ‘lightning capital’ as it has recorded over 2,000 lightning injuries over the past 50 years.
Although about 37 million lightning strikes hit the ground in the US each year, the odds of being struck by lightning are less than one in a million. Victim data has shown that only ten percent of strikes are fatal.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research has found that the top three activities that lead to lightning-related deaths are boating, fishing and camping.
Since lightning bolts are more likely to strike taller objects, activities such as jet-skiing across the water can lead to higher chance of exposure and risk.
