Latest news with #LeahRosencranz
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Man on honeymoon dies after being struck by lightning on Florida beach
A newlywed man visiting Florida on his honeymoon recently died after reportedly being struck by lightning while standing in shallow water with a blue sky over him. The death of Jake Rosencranz, 29, in New Smyrna Beach was considered unusual because it is 'rare' for someone to be struck by lightning from a storm that is several miles away, local beach safety director Tammy Malphurs told Florida news outlet WKMG. Though that occasionally happens, Rosencranz, of Colorado, was the first person to be killed by lightning in Florida in 2025. His death nonetheless served as a grim reminder that Florida in 2024 led the US in both lightning fatalities (12) and strikes per square mile (76), according to a report from the environmental technology provider AEM. Related: Florida dad dies after helping save his daughter from drowning on Father's Day Rosencranz had been in New Smyrna Beach with his wife, Leah, on a delayed honeymoon, local sheriff Mike Chitwood said on a social media post. While standing in ankle-deep water under clear skies, lightning struck him at about 12.30pm on 20 June, Malphurs's agency reportedly said. 'There was not a storm immediately over us,' Malphurs told a Denver Post reporter. 'This lightning bolt came from a storm several miles away.' Emergency responders performed CPR on him and took him to a hospital in critical condition. He died there on 21 June, authorities said. On social media, Chitwood wrote 'in one terrifying second everything changed' for Rosencranz and his wife. 'They were visiting our beaches to celebrate their marriage,' Chitwood added. He also wrote that Rosencranz 'should have had many … anniversaries with her for years to come'. 'Sending sincere condolences to this young woman on behalf of all of us … who were hoping against hope that the diligent efforts of [first responders and hospital doctors] would bring him back to her,' Chitwood said. Rosencranz – who was originally from Boston – graduated from the University of Denver in 2019, according to his LinkedIn page as well as an online biography. He then worked for a Denver construction company before working as a project manager for the Behm Consulting Group in the same city. His biography at the Behm Consulting Group's website said he enjoyed skiing, golf and exploring the Rocky mountains with his wife and their dog, Bonnie. The biography listed his favorite quote as: 'When's the best time complete a task? Yesterday.' 'Not sure who said this, but my wife reminds me often,' Rosencranz's biographical page said. In a statement on Tuesday, Behm Consulting Group's president, Nick Behm, said: 'Jake Rosencranz was a great friend and beloved colleague.' 'We are heartbroken over this terrible loss,' Behm's statement said. 'We are sending love and support to his wife, Leah, and his family. He will be missed.' As of Wednesday morning, supporters of Rosencranz's family had donated more than $25,000 to a GoFundMe campaign dedicated to helping Leah as she grapples with having suddenly lost her husband. The National Weather Service generally considers it highly unlikely for most people to be struck by lightning. People who live for about 80 years have one-in-15,300 odds of enduring such an experience. But 20 June in New Smyrna Beach evidently was another matter altogether. Rosencranz was among three people to be hit by lighting there after noon that day. The other two were golfers who were indirectly struck by lightning at the Venetian Bay course, the local fire department said to WKMG. Neither golfer struck needed to be hospitalized, the agency said to the outlet. In a post published after Rosencranz's death, meteorologist Matt Devitt of Florida's WINK news station said hearing thunder is a sign that one is 'close enough to potentially get struck' by lightning. That is the case even if lightning is not visible. 'When thunder roars, go indoors,' Devitt's post said, invoking an oft-used meteorological safety adage.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Man on honeymoon dies after being struck by lightning on Florida beach
A newlywed man visiting Florida on his honeymoon recently died after reportedly being struck by lightning while standing in shallow water with a blue sky over him. The death of Jake Rosencranz, 29, in New Smyrna Beach was considered unusual because it is 'rare' for someone to be struck by lightning from a storm that is several miles away, local beach safety director Tammy Malphurs told Florida news outlet WKMG. Though that occasionally happens, Rosencranz, of Colorado, was the first person to be killed by lightning in Florida in 2025. His death nonetheless served as a grim reminder that Florida in 2024 led the US in both lightning fatalities (12) and strikes per square mile (76), according to a report from the environmental technology provider AEM. Rosencranz had been in New Smyrna Beach with his wife, Leah, on a delayed honeymoon, local sheriff Mike Chitwood said on a social media post. While standing in ankle-deep water under clear skies, lightning struck him at about 12.30pm on 20 June, Malphurs's agency reportedly said. 'There was not a storm immediately over us,' Malphurs told a Denver Post reporter. 'This lightning bolt came from a storm several miles away.' Emergency responders performed CPR on him and took him to a hospital in critical condition. He died there on 21 June, authorities said. On social media, Chitwood wrote 'in one terrifying second everything changed' for Rosencranz and his wife. 'They were visiting our beaches to celebrate their marriage,' Chitwood added. He also wrote that Rosencranz 'should have had many … anniversaries with her for years to come'. 'Sending sincere condolences to this young woman on behalf of all of us … who were hoping against hope that the diligent efforts of [first responders and hospital doctors] would bring him back to her,' Chitwood said. Rosencranz – who was originally from Boston – graduated from the University of Denver in 2019, according to his LinkedIn page as well as an online biography. He then worked for a Denver construction company before working as a project manager for the Behm Consulting Group in the same city. His biography at the Behm Consulting Group's website said he enjoyed skiing, golf and exploring the Rocky mountains with his wife and their dog, Bonnie. The biography listed his favorite quote as: 'When's the best time complete a task? Yesterday.' 'Not sure who said this, but my wife reminds me often,' Rosencranz's biographical page said. In a statement on Tuesday, Behm Consulting Group's president, Nick Behm, said: 'Jake Rosencranz was a great friend and beloved colleague.' 'We are heartbroken over this terrible loss,' Behm's statement said. 'We are sending love and support to his wife, Leah, and his family. He will be missed.' The National Weather Service generally considers it highly unlikely for most people to be struck by lightning. People who live for about 80 years have one-in-15,300 odds of enduring such an experience. But 20 June in New Smyrna Beach evidently was another matter altogether. Rosencranz was among three people to be hit by lighting there after noon that day. The other two were golfers who were indirectly struck by lightning at the Venetian Bay course, the local fire department said to WKMG. Neither golfer struck needed to be hospitalized, the agency said to the outlet. In a post published after Rosencranz's death, meteorologist Matt Devitt of Florida's WINK news station said hearing thunder is a sign that one is 'close enough to potentially get struck' by lightning. That is the case even if lightning is not visible. 'When thunder roars, go indoors,' Devitt's post said, invoking an oft-used meteorological safety adage.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Colorado honeymooner, 29, dies in horrific freak accident while paddling on Florida beach
A newlywed couple's honeymoon took a devastating turn after the husband was killed in a freak lightening strike on a beach in Florida. Colorado resident Jake Rosencranz, 29, was dipping his feet in the ocean on Friday around 12:30pm at New Smyrna Beach when he was hit with a lethal bolt of electricity. On a delayed trip to celebrate their marriage, Rosencrantz and his wife Leah set out to enjoy a day at the beach. Locals said that the sky on June 20 was clear and sunny, despite bad weather further inland. Rosencrantz was only standing in ankle-deep water when the freak tragedy occurred and he collapsed in the water. Volusia County Beach Safety said he was hit by a 'blue sky lightning strike,' which can occur during seemingly clear weather. Despite the conditions, officials said lightning strikes can happen as far as 20 miles from the edge of a storm. According to local outlets, the edge of this particular storm was only four miles away. One witness told local news: 'It was the most crackling, electrical hit you could imagine. I mean like fierce.' Witnesses said that they heard cries for help and saw bystanders rushed to pull him out of the water, as soon as it happened. A nearby nurse was the first to start CPR while a lifeguard several feet away was notified about the incident. A witness told local affiliates: 'You could tell it was bad cause they started chest compressions immediately.' Jake Rosencranz (left) was on a delayed honeymoon with his wife Leah (right) when he was struck with lightening and died in the freak accident Once local first responders arrived, Rosencranz was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Tamra Malphurs, the Director of Volusia County Beach Safety confirmed to Daily Mail that he later died from his injuries. She said: 'On Friday June 20 A 29-year-old man from Colorado was struck by lightning shortly before 12:30 PM while standing in ankle-deep water in New Smyrna Beach. 'CPR was immediately initiated, and we performed life-saving measures. He was transported from the scene unresponsive, and he sadly lost his life from the injuries he sustained.' Rosencranz's social media showed that he and his blushing bride Leah tied the knot in front of their family and friends in the summer of 2023. The couple had been together for years before that - often sharing sweet snaps from their vacations and trips together. They lived in a high-rise apartment in Denver's Washington Park neighborhood after they married. Two other vacationers were struck by lightning on Friday, June 20 in an 'indirect strike' while golfing at Venetian Bay Golf Course. Neither were hospitalized. Florida's health and safety department calls the state the 'lightning capital' of the United States. The Sunshine state experiences more lightning strikes per square mile than any other states, with an average of 1.2 million annually. The odds of being struck are 1 in a million and 90 percent of victims survive, per the CDC. Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, whose team responded on the scene, r eleased a statement addressing the man's death and offering his condolences to the family. He said: 'So sorry for the tragic loss of a young man here on a delayed honeymoon with his wife. 'At 29 years old, he should have had many more anniversaries with her for years to come. 'Sending sincere condolences to this young woman on behalf of all of us in Volusia County who were hoping against hope that the diligent efforts of our lifeguards, EMS team and ER staff would bring him back to her.'
