Utah father-of-four, 47, dies after being struck by lightning while riding a jet ski in Florida

A Utah father of four has been killed after being struck by lightning while riding a jet ski in Florida. 

Steve Matheson, 47, was struck by a bolt off the coast in Fort De Soto Park, Petersburg, around 6.30pm on Saturday.

According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Matheson was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

‘It’s usually the first lightning strikes that tend to be the most dangerous because people may not be aware what’s coming even if the sky is starting to look dark and threatening,’ said Robert Molleda, a National Weather Service meteorologist. 

‘The storms in the summer develop very quickly. That first rumble of thunder might be too late,’ Molleda added to USA TODAY.

Matheson’s family has created a GoFundMe fundraiser in support of his wife and children as they navigate their loss. April Beck, the organizer, has shared that the money is being raised to help bring his body back to Utah. 

The fundraiser message described him as ‘a wonderful man, devoted husband, and loving father.’ They mentioned how he adored his wife, Abbie and his four children he left behind. 

‘His family was his greatest joy, and he cherished every moment he was able to spend with them. He was the kind of husband and father who loved deeply, showed up fully, and made his family the center of his world,’ said the message. 

His loved ones have raised over $38,000 of their $100,000 goal as support continues to grow. 

One supporter commented: ‘We’ll miss you Steve, you’ll always be our football brother. ‘

Another said: ‘We love you so much, Steve & Abbie. I hope to have the strength to live like you. I miss you and will do all we can to help your family.’ 

It marks the third deadly lightning strike in Florida in less than a week.

Kenya Glasgow, 31, and her two-year-old daughter were found lying on the sidewalk after being struck down in Margate city on August 23. 

Her husband Kameron said he was sitting in the car with their other daughter when he saw his wife hit by a flash of light. 

‘I got the actual aftershock from the ground. By the grace of God, I’m still here as well,’ Glasgow told the outlet. He described it as ‘the worst feeling in the world.’

Later that same day, a child was taken to a trauma center after they were struck by lightning near Boynton Beach. 

Matheson’s death is the 13th lightning death in the US this year, as reports have been scattered across multiple states. 

In May, Michael Aiden Vargas, 18, was killed while kayaking in the Blackwater River in Santa Rosa County. The high school senior was tossed out of his boat after a freak lightning strike. It took several dive teams over ten hours to find his missing body. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida has famously been known as the ‘lightning capital’ as it has recorded over 2,000 related injuries over the past 50 years. 

Although about 37 million bolts hit the ground in the US each year, the odds of being struck are less than one in a million. Victim data has shown that only 10 percent of such incidents are fatal. 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research has found that the top three activities that lead to lightning-related deaths are boating, fishing and camping. 

Since the bolts are more likely to strike taller objects, activities such as jet-skiing on water can lead to a higher chance of exposure.