Lightning Strike Injures Four on Florida Beach, One Hospitalized

Holmes Beach, Fla.

Four individuals were struck by lightning on Holmes Beach, Florida, on Monday after a powerful bolt hit a canopy they were sheltering under during a storm. One man, believed to be in his 30s, was hospitalized following the incident, according to the Holmes Beach Police Department. No immediate update was provided on his condition.

The lightning strike occurred during an intense afternoon thunderstorm that swept across the area. The victims had sought refuge under a canopy made of metal and fabric when the lightning struck directly overhead.

Eyewitness Don Ashley described the terrifying moment. “They were out there, and then they all got underneath the canopy... and bam, I saw the bolt hit the top of it, and all of them simultaneously just, bam — all on the ground,” Ashley said. He indicated that the canopy had been weighed down by heavy rain before it was hit.

A relative of the hospitalized man, who declined to give his name, showed visible blisters on his hands, likely from the aftermath of the strike. He confirmed that the injured man was his brother.

At the time of the incident, weather monitoring systems recorded 153 lightning strikes at 3:59 p.m., with many concentrated over the Holmes Beach area. The strike marks the first lightning-related injury call of the season for the West Manatee Fire Rescue District.

Fire Marshal Rodney Kwiatkowski warned of increased lightning activity during Florida’s storm season. “We’re in season now. Thunderstorms pick up in the afternoon, you can expect more and more,” he said. “When thunder roars, go indoors.”

Beachgoers are reminded to seek shelter in enclosed buildings or vehicles during storms and to avoid using metal objects, open spaces, and water when lightning is present.