A father of 4 was on a jet ski. He was then struck by lightning

A father visiting Florida died after being struck by lightning, according to officials.

On Saturday, Aug. 29, Steve Matheson, a husband and father of four, was jet skiing in the waters off St. Petersburg, Florida, about 20 miles southwest of Tampa, when he was fatally struck by lightning, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

"His sudden passing has left his family, friends, and community heartbroken and trying to navigate a loss that no one could have ever imagined," a GoFundMe created to support Matheson's family stated.

The incident marked the third deadly lightning strike in Florida in less than a week, reported the Herald-Tribune, a part of the USA TODAY Network.

Matheson was in Florida for a conference when the incident occurred, according to Fox 13 News, a local news outlet in Tampa. He was riding a jet ski with his friend, David Cole, when a sudden storm began, and he was struck and killed.

"I saw a huge lightning bolt come from the top and hit the water and hit him," Cole told the news outlet.

According to Cole, Matheson remained upright after the lightning struck.

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/