1 man killed, another injured in Florida lightning strike, authorities say

The man who died went into cardiac arrest after the lightning strike.

ByABC News
June 27, 2017, 7:38 PM
An undated photo of lightening.
An undated photo of lightening.
EyeEm/Getty Images

— -- An approximately 32-year-old man died in a lightning strike in Florida, and a second man at the scene was injured, according to authorities.

The lightning strike was reported at a construction site around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Pembroke Pines Fire Department's division chief of operations, Ruben Troncoso.

Bystanders had already began CPR on one of the men, who was unresponsive, by the time firefighters arrived, Troncoso told ABC News.

Emergency workers determined that the man was in cardiac arrest, and he was transported to Memorial Regional Hospital, where he later died from his injuries, authorities said.

Medical personnel determined the man sustained serious injuries consistent with a lightning strike, Troncoso said, although it is unclear if he had been hit directly.

PHOTO: Hollywood Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Fla.
Hollywood Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Fla.

The second man, who is approximately 35, was also injured as a result of the lightning strike, Troncoso said. He was found semiconscious, complaining of numbness. He was taken to the hospital and remained in stable condition.

Authorities did not release the names of the victims.

Weather reports show there were thunderstorms in the Pembroke Pines area in the early afternoon Tuesday, including heavy downpours and lightning, which is typical for South Florida during the summer.

Lightning is one of nature's top killers. Over the last 30 years, the U.S. has averaged 47 lightning-related fatalities annually, according to the National Weather Service.

At the site where the lightning struck Tuesday, construction is underway for a massive city center with restaurants, retail stores and a new city hall, ABC's Miami affiliate WPLG reported.

Further details were not immediately available.

ABC News' Dominick Proto contributed to this report.

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