New Jersey man fatally struck by lightning while warning children of incoming storm
Patrick Dispoto, 59, was warning children on the beach of an incoming storm when he was struck by lightning. Beach activities are the second-leading cause of lightning deaths in the U.S. after fishing, according to the National Lightning Safety Council.
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SEASIDE PARK, N.J. – A man attempting to warn children on a New Jersey beach about an incoming thunderstorm was struck by lightning and killed.
Seaside Park police officials told local news outlets Patrick Dispoto, 59, was found unresponsive on the J Street beach on Sunday around 7:30 p.m. ET.
According to the Asbury Park Press, Dispoto's girlfriend told police he went to warn children to get off the beach as a storm was coming.
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Storms rumbled across the Northeast on Sunday night, ending the heat wave that brought record-high temperatures across the region.
Radar shows a thunderstorm over Seaside Park, New Jersey, on Sunday, June 23, 2024.
(FOX Weather)
Radar on Sunday evening showed a storm moving over the Jersey Shore, including Seaside Park and Asbury Park.
According to the National Lightning Safety Council, this is the year's third lightning death in the U.S. The death in Seaside Park comes three years after a lifeguard was struck and killed on the beach in South Seaside Park.
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According to the Council, beach activities are the second-leading contributor to U.S. lightning deaths after fishing. This marks the 16th lightning death in New Jersey since 2006, including five that happened on beaches.
Florida leads the nation in lightning-related deaths, with 89 people killed by lightning since 2006. The most recent death happened in March when a 73-year-old man was struck while walking in a Tallahassee park.