The captain killed was identified as 39-year-old Peter Strong of West Melbourne, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.
A Florida boat captain was killed and a passenger injured after the vessel they were in was believed to have been struck by lightning on Sunday night, officials said.
The captain killed was identified as 39-year-old Peter Strong of West Melbourne, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said, , which is based in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Strong and his passenger, who officials did not identify, were out on the Indian River in the area of Pineda Causeway and U.S. 1 when the incident unfolded, according to WESH.
Thunderstorms had been expected in the area Sunday night, according to past data from the National Weather Service.
It was not immediately clear when Strong was pronounced dead from his injuries. The passenger suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment, officials said.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Brevard County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to overnight requests for comment.
Lightning strikes kill around 20 people every year in the United States, while leaving hundreds of others severely injured, according to the National Weather Service.
Some survivors suffer lifelong neurological damage, according to the weather service.