A 19-year-old man was killed Sunday by a possible lightning strike while running in Vista View Park in Davie, police and family say. His would be the second lightning death this year in Florida, which leads the country in fatal lightning strikes.
Davie Police identified the man as Ethan Lawrence, a Broward resident. Officers had responded to a 911 call shortly before 11 a.m. about a person down, possibly struck by lightning, Officer Peter Patton said in an email. When police arrived at the park at 4001 SW 142nd Ave., Lawrence was already dead.
Lawrence was an avid runner, according to social media. He was “out doing what he loved” when he died, his father, Patrick Lawrence, wrote on Facebook on Monday. “Pray for him and my family. We will miss him and never forget the amazing 19 years he gave us.”
The park was open at the time of Lawrence’s death, police say. The National Weather Service Miami had warned of storms and lightning in a forecast just after 2 a.m.
“Strong wind gusts and frequent to excessive lightning are also concerns on this Sunday,” forecasters wrote.
The weather service had also issued a warning about a strong thunderstorm in inland Broward just after 10 a.m., shortly before the 911 call.
Lawrence’s death would be the second fatality from lightning this year in Florida and the fifth in the U.S., according to John Jensenius, a lightning safety specialist with the National Lightning Safety Council.
Florida leads the country in fatal lightning strikes, with 89 other fatal strikes since 2006. The second highest state is Texas, with less than half.
In March, a Tallahassee man was killed by lightning while walking in the park with his wife, the Tallahassee Democrat reported. His wife was walking ahead when she heard a “loud bang” and saw bright light come from behind her, according to a police incident report.
The Broward Medical Examiner is investigating the cause of Lawrence’s death.
Experts with the National Lightning Safety Council offer these tips to walkers and runners:
- Plan walks or runs around the weather forecast; postpone if thunderstorms are likely.
- If thunderstorms are possible, plan a walk or run near a safe, sheltered area.
- Monitor the sky while walking or running.
- Don’t ignore signs: Go to a safe place if the sky looks threatening or you hear thunder.
- Stay sheltered until 30 minutes after you last heard thunder.