Jake Rosencranz Obituary, Death; – A man tragically lost his life after being struck by lightning during his honeymoon in Florida, as reported by officials.
According to Volusia County Beach Safety, a 29-year-old man from Colorado was hit by lightning shortly before 12:30 p.m. on Friday while he stood in ankle-deep water. Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood confirmed that the individual was on his honeymoon.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of a young man who was on a delayed honeymoon with his wife,” Chitwood expressed in a Facebook post. “At just 29 years old, he should have celebrated many more anniversaries with her in the years ahead. We extend our heartfelt condolences to this young woman on behalf of everyone in Volusia County who had hoped that the dedicated efforts of our lifeguards, EMS team, and ER staff would restore him to her.”
A WKMG reporter has identified the victim as Jake Rosencranz. Local news reports indicated that the lightning strike occurred several miles away from the storm itself, making this incident quite unusual. Volusia County Beach Safety referred to this event as a “blue sky lightning strike.”
Officials from the National Weather Service noted that lightning strikes can occur up to 20 miles from the leading edge of a storm. WESH confirmed that the lightning that impacted the beach that day was approximately four miles distant from the actual storm.
“The sky was completely clear, and the storm was miles away from us,” witness Pepper Pyle recounted to WESH. Additionally, two individuals in New Smyrna Beach were also “indirectly struck” by lightning on Friday while playing golf at the Venetian Bay Golf Course, as reported by the city. Fortunately, neither of these individuals required hospitalization.
