NEW SMYTNA BEACH, Fla. — "In one terrifying second everything changed.“
That’s what Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood wrote on Facebook Friday hours after a lightning strike sent a beachgoer to the hospital.
That man later died from his injuries. Now his name and more information about his visit from Colorado have been revealed.
Volusia Beach Safety identified the man as 29-year-old Jake Rosencranz.
Chitwood said Rosencranz was visiting the Florida beach with his wife for their delayed honeymoon when the tragedy struck.
Volusia Beach Safety said he was struck while standing in ankle-deep water Friday afternoon when lightning struck. Medics administered CPR, but he was unresponsive. He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, where he later died
“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,” Chitwood wrote.
New Smyrna Beach police say two golfers on the Venetian Bay golf course were struck indirectly by lightning that day, but they survived.
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