A Florida man, his wife and their adult daughter were killed after being struck by lightning in a field, according to local authorities.
The three victims were identified as a 43-year-old man, his 42-year-old wife and their 19-year-old daughter. The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon in a rural area near the town of Mayo, in Lafayette County.
Details of the Incident
The Lafayette County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded to a report of a lightning strike in a pasture. When they arrived, they found the three victims unresponsive. They were pronounced dead at the scene.
Witnesses told investigators that the family had been walking in the field when a sudden thunderstorm moved through the area. The lightning struck a nearby tree and then hit the family, according to the sheriff's office.
Community Response
The sheriff's office expressed condolences to the family and friends of the victims. The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the area at the time of the strike.
Lightning is one of the leading causes of weather-related deaths in the United States, with an average of about 20 fatalities per year over the past decade, according to the National Weather Service.
