Missing Florida student found dead after lightning strike capsized rowing team boat in Orlando lake
ORLANDO, FLORIDA: A child, who was missing in Orlando, Florida near Lake Fairview after lightning injured several members of a youth rowing club, has died from the unfortunate incident. The body of the student was recovered on Friday, September 16, as revealed by the officials. The identity of the dead student is yet to be shared by the officials.
The possible lighting strike happened on Thursday, September 15 when the five middle school students were practicing near the North Orlando Rowing Complex in Lake Fairview, as reported by CNN. The officials from Orlando Fire Department Executive were not sure whether the lightning struck the vessel or near the vessel. One student was hospitalized after the incident and another had gone missing. Orlando Fire Department Executive Deputy Chief Ian Davis revealed that the other three were treated on the scene and were handed over to their parents.
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According to CNN, the body of the missing student was recovered on Friday around 5.15 pm after the officials launched an immediate search after the student disappeared in the water. Shedding light on the case, Orlando Fire Department spokesperson Jennifer DeSantis said in a statement, “We are incredibly saddened by this incident and appreciate the efforts of the multiple agencies who worked together over the past 24 hours to assist in the rescue.”
The radar near the lake revealed that at least four lightning strikes in total took place between 5.46 pm and 6 pm on September 15. Orlando Fire Department Executive Deputy Chief Ian Davis during an earlier news conference, said, as per CBS, “The rowing club was on the lake practicing. There was lightning strike in the area. We're unsure if it actually hit the vessel or was just in the area. The boat was capsized."
.@OrangeCoSheriff chopper helping in search for missing child rower in Lake Fairview @news6wkmg pic.twitter.com/0OXfQ4rzL8
— Erik Sandoval (@ErikSandoval) September 16, 2022
MISSING CHILD: Crews expected to to continue their search this morning for a child at Lake Fairview.
— Ezzy Castro (@EzzyCastro) September 16, 2022
They say the child & four other students were rowing before lightning hit the area.
We are live with this story @ 6 & 6:30 a.m. @news6wkmg https://t.co/OR3CvcLmLh
The name of the missing student or the names of the other children were not shared by the officials. Jenny DeSantis, a public information officer for the City of Orlando Fire Department, told People magazine in a statement earlier said "At around 5:30 a.m., the Orange County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit arrived on-site with two boats equipped with sonar to support OFD in the search for the missing student” adding, “Orlando Police also remain on scene at this time." Florida is known to be the lightning capital of the country, with more than 2,000 lightning injuries over the past 50 years.