Event narrative (NOAA)
A 57 year old male died and his 56 year old friend was injured when their boat was struck by lightning on Lake Okeechobee. The two men were boating and decided to dock at the Clewiston boat ramps as a thunderstorm approached. As they were making their way back to Clewiston, lightning struck their boat and both men were knocked unconscious. Some time later, the 56 year old male awoke and called 911 after realizing what happened. Hendry County EMS arrived on the scene and transported the unconscious male to Hendry County Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. The other male was later taken to Palms West Hospital to be treated for his injuries.
Other notable lightning events in Florida
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.