Florida man dies after being struck by lightning while working on roof
The 24-year-old victim was working on framing a home in Deltona Monday afternoon when the thunderstorm moved through the area around 2 p.m., the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said.
Florida roofer killed by lightning strike
A 24-year-old man was killed after he was struck by lightning in Florida Monday afternoon.
DELTONA, Fla. – A man working on home construction in Florida was killed after he was struck by lightning and then fell from a roof, according to sheriff's officials.
The 24-year-old victim was working on framing a home in Deltona Monday afternoon when the thunderstorm moved through the area around 2 p.m., the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said.
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A lightning bolt hit the victim, which left him stunned, and then he fell through a hole on the roof, the man's coworkers told FOX 35 Orlando.
When deputies arrived, they said the victim smelled like burned hair and one of his socks was melted to his foot, FOX 35 reported. The man was rushed to a local hospital but was pronounced dead soon after.
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One coworker said it wasn't raining at the time of the incident and that the bolt was the only lightning strike they saw for the storm.
Volusia County Emergency Services Director Jim Judge told FOX 35 that lightning can strike up to 15 miles ahead of a storm, meaning it doesn’t have to be raining at the time for lightning to strike.
11th Florida roofing death due to lightning since 2016
The victim is the fourth lightning-related death in the U.S. this year and the second in Florida. A 39-year-old man died while fishing in Brevard County in April. Last week, a father was killed by lightning while walking his son to the bus stop in Texas.
Working on a roof is one of the deadliest work-related activities due to lightning, says John Jensenius with the National Lightning Safety Council. Since 2016, there have been 20 lightning-related deaths due to someone working on a roof during thunderstorms – and 11 of them have occurred in Florida, Jensenius says.
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Florida is the most lightning-prone state in the U.S. by density and, in turn, leads the U.S. in lightning-related deaths with 85 since 2006.