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A Florida boat captain was killed and a passenger injured after the vessel they were in was believed to have been struck by lightning on Sunday, officials said.
First responders were called to a report of a vessel being struck by lightning on the Indian River in Brevard County, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement.
They attempted life-saving measures on the operator of the vessel, who was identified as Peter Strong, 39, of West Melbourne. Strong did not survive his injuries, however, and was pronounced dead, the FWC said.
The passenger on the vessel, who officials did not identify, sustained minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment, the FWC said.
The incident was being investigated as a boating accident, the FWC said Tuesday.
It was not clear what time exactly the incident unfolded, but thunderstorms had been expected in the area Sunday night, according to past data from the National Weather Service.
Lightning strikes kill around 20 people every year in the United States, while leaving hundreds of others severely injured, according to the National Weather Service.
Some survivors suffer lifelong neurological damage, according to the weather service.
