Cameron Day Obituary, Death; – A student from McArthur High School tragically lost his life due to a lightning strike in Pembroke Pines, as confirmed by a Broward County medical examiner two months following the incident.
Cameron Day, aged 16, was cycling home from band practice in the vicinity of the 600 block of Southwest 67th Avenue in Pembroke Pines shortly before 5:30 p.m. on September 18, amidst rain and lightning, according to the medical examiner’s investigation report. A local resident reported witnessing a flash of lightning followed by thunder, and upon looking out his window, he saw the boy lying on the ground.
Upon arrival, Pembroke Pines Fire Rescue found Cameron unresponsive, with burns present on his chest and legs, as detailed in the report. They performed CPR while transporting him to Memorial Regional Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The autopsy report, released on Tuesday and signed by an associate medical examiner on November 18, confirmed that Cameron’s death was caused by a lightning strike. The report indicated burns on his neck, chest, and thigh areas.
Cameron’s mother informed an investigator that she had spoken with her son around 4 p.m. that day, and approximately an hour and a half later, staff at Memorial Regional Hospital contacted her to inform her that he was in the emergency room, as noted in the investigation report.
Cameron was a tuba player in the high school band, a member of the student government, and served as an ambassador for Florida Atlantic University’s Upward Bound Math and Science program, as stated by his parents in a written statement shared with the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He was the youngest of their four children and had overcome significant challenges, having been diagnosed with autism at the age of four.
“The circumstances surrounding his death are incomprehensible,” their statement expressed. According to data from the National Weather Service, at least 11 individuals have died from lightning strikes across the nation in 2024, with five of those fatalities occurring in Florida. In June, a 19-year-old man was struck by lightning while running beneath a tree in Davie.
