A Florida boat captain is dead after he was struck by lightning while boating amid a storm Sunday evening.
The captain, identified 39-year-old Peter Strong of West Melbourne, and a passenger were out on the Indian River -- about 60 miles southeast of Orlando -- when thunderstorms hit, according to reports from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Despite life-saving measures, Strong was declared dead by first responders.
The passenger suffered minor injuries and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Strong's death remains under investigation as a boating accident.
Heavy storms were reported in the area on Sunday and the Nation Weather Service had issued several warnings to boaters in Brevard County throughout the day to exercise extreme caution and stay off the water, according to Florida Today.
Lightning strikes kill between 20 and 30 people every year in the United States and injure hundreds more, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The department describes lightning as one of the "most underrated" weather hazards.
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