UPDATE: Lightning strike victim on Fort Myers Beach identified as 51-year-old man

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. (WINK) — The Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District is responding to a fatal lightning strike where one man was killed directly, along with three people who received various injuries while swimming in the Gulf.

On Friday at around 3 p.m., the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District responded to the incident located on the 6600 block of Estero Boulevard. According to the fire district, the four people involved were swimming in the Gulf when the lightning strike occurred. 

According to a press statement from the Fort Myers Beach Control District, crews were dispatched and are still on the scene of a lightning strike involving multiple patients. 

Upon arrival, crews found one individual unresponsive and two others who had to be transported. 

The Lee County Sheriff's Office says despite immediate life saving efforts of bystanders and first responders, the victim tragically died at the scene. He has been identified as 51-year-old Viktar Kiryk.

A bystander had deployed an AED and was performing CPR upon our arrival, but due to the injuries sustained, efforts were not successful. 

Fort Myers Beach Fire Chief Scott Wirth said first responders arrived just after 3:00 p.m. Friday.

"One patient was deemed deceased at the scene," said Wirth.

Katie Abdalla, a paramedic from Maryland who was at the beach on vacation, was one of the people who dropped everything to help.

"He had a pretty good like burn mark from like his shoulder down his chest," said Abdalla.

Abdalla grabbed a defibrillator and worked to keep the man alive until help arrived.

"We just continued to do CPR until the paramedics got here with all the other equipment," said Abdalla.

WINK News reporter Hunter Walterman spoke with Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District Chief Scott Wirth about his team's involvement regarding this deadly lightning strike. 

During their interview, Wirth confirmed that the male who died from the lightning strike was deceased at the time of arrival. Three people were transported to a nearby hospital to be treated for their various injuries; their conditions remain unknown.

The man killed was struck directly by lightning, according to Wirth. No further information regarding the man's identity or age has been released. 

Bystanders on the beach pulled people out of the water, attempted to perform lifesaving measures, including chest compressions and an AED on the person who died. 

Provided below is their entire interview. 

The Town of Fort Myers Beach released a statement regarding the deadly lightning strike, extending its thoughts and prayers to the families affected.

Florida led the nation in lightning deaths between 2016 and 2025, with 51 fatalities, according to the Lightning Safety Council.

Texas ranked second with 21 deaths, followed by Alabama and North Carolina with 11 each and Colorado with nine. The risk is highest during June, July and August, which are the peak months for lightning activity across the country.

According to the Lightning Safety Council, the most common situations where people were killed by lightning in Florida included roofing and construction work, walking or running, lawn and yard work and beach activities, including being in or near the water.

Witness Debbie Crombie gave a detailed account of what she saw regarding the deadly lightning strike.

Listen to the entire interview below.

Rob Livingston and his family were staying on the 12th floor of a nearby hotel, hoping for a quiet start to their holiday weekend. Instead, they heard what Livingston described as the loudest boom of thunder and flash of lightning.

"There was people crying, yelling, and people running, sprinting out there, and there were a lot of good people that helped out," Livingston said.

Livingston said the hardest part to watch was the man's family as they were escorted away from the scene.

"So afterwards they kind of had them in, you know, jeeps or the police did, and I mean, there was, it's very loud, there's a lot of crying, and afterwards," Livingston said.

WINK News contacted Lee Health regarding any patients transported to any of its facilities with lightning-related injuries. At this time Lee Health said that they do not have any patients at this time being treated for a lightning strike.

The Lee County Sheriff's Office released a statement on X regarding the lightning strike, saying:

"LCSO is on scene at the 6500 blk of Estero Blvd. reference a lightning strike. At this time, it appears 4 subjects are involved and at least 3 were transported to local hospitals for medical evaluation."

The fire district ended its statement by warning residents and visitors to stay aware of the weather and environment, and to immediately seek shelter when they hear thunder or see lightning.

This scene remains active. 

Stay tuned to WINKNews.com, WINK News App, streaming, and on air for any new developments on this story.