Lightning — Okaloosa, Florida

2003-10-26 · near Destin, Okaloosa, Florida

Event narrative

A 49 year old male, from the local area, was surfing in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico in front of the Eglin Community Beach Club near Destin when he was struck by a bolt of lightning. Other surfers pulled the man out of the water, and emergency personnel transported him to a local hospital, where he later died. Thunderstorms had moved through the area earlier in the morning. The overcast sky, after most of the storms had moved out of the area, produced the isolated, but deadly, lightning bolt.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5371913. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.