Father-of-four dies after being struck by lightning while riding a jet ski

Steve Matheson, a 47-year-old father of four from Saratoga Springs, Utah, died after being struck by lightning while riding a jet ski off the Florida coast at Fort De Soto Park near Petersburg. Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said he was rushed to hospital after the incident around 6:30pm on Saturday but later died despite medical efforts. The National Weather Service’s Robert Molleda told USA Today that the first lightning strikes are often the most dangerous because people may not realize storms are developing quickly. A GoFundMe has been created to support Matheson’s wife and children and to repatriate his body to Utah. His death was reported as the 13th lightning fatality in the U.S. this year.