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Lightning strike kills man

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By NATALIE SHEPHERD nshepherd@wfla.com and TED JACKOVICS

tjackovics@tampatrib.com

Published: July 5, 2009

LAKELAND - A few clouds drifted across the sky, but the sun was shining Saturday afternoon, when a series of lightning strikes hit a Fourth of July church picnic in Lakeland, killing one man.

"There was no rain or anything, it was just lightning popped out of nowhere," said Brian Thompson, who saw the strike from his nearby home about 4:40 p.m.

"I looked across the street, and saw a bunch of people running around."

Benjamin Gonzalez, 30, was killed and 18 others were taken to area hospitals where they were treated and released after lightning struck the property at 4444 Viola Road, where about 100 parishioners were gathered, Polk County authorities said.

Emergency Medical Services personnel treated about 28 people at the scene, ranging in age from 7 to 43.

Gonzalez, of 725 Jeh Road in Lakeland, died Saturday after being taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center, the Polk County Sheriff's Office reported.

Some parishioners of Iglesia Bautista Maranatha Church were playing volleyball and soccer in the field when the lightning struck, while others were beneath a shelter that had a roof but no sides, authorities said.

"Nothing at all would indicate to them that there was a danger," said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. "There was no rain, and all of a sudden, there was a series, a rapid series, of lightning strikes.

"I met with a hundred people. I had the opportunity to speak with them, pray with them. One man told me his left side was numb, and it felt like the top of his head was on fire.

"Quite frankly, it was a tragedy in the middle of what was a wonderful afternoon."

Witnesses said Gonzalez collapsed after multiple lightning strikes hit the field where he was playing soccer. Church members ran to Gonzalez's aid and contacted Emergency Medical Services.

"People were upset, but no one mentioned panic," said Donna Wood, public information officer for the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

Church members had set up what looked like an afternoon's worth of food and games, Wood said, with volleyball nets, an area for kickball and a field outlined for the soccer game.

Gonzalez did not appear to have been struck directly by lightning, but his injuries were consistent with injuries suffered in lightning strikes, she said. The exact cause of death will not be known until an autopsy is conducted.

"We are not able to say if the death was caused by a direct strike," Wood said.

Emergency units took victims to Lakeland Regional Medical Center, Bartow Regional Medical Center and South Florida Baptist Hospital in Plant City

Thompson has lived on this street his whole life.

He said he has seen storms come up quickly, but very rarely lightning that strikes out of the blue.

"It was just crazy," he said. "It was really crazy."

News Channel 8 reporter Natalie Shepherd can be reached at (813) 310-2474. Tribune reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817.

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