The body of a middle school student has been recovered after a possible lightning strike caused a rowing vessel to capsize in Florida
By Jamiel Lynch and Aya Elamroussi, CNN
Authorities in Florida recovered the body of a student who went missing after lightning struck near a middle school rowing club practicing at an Orlando lake, officials said Friday.
The possible lighting strike happened Thursday evening when five middle school students were practicing near the North Orlando Rowing Complex in Lake Fairview, Orlando Fire Department Executive Deputy Chief Ian Davis said Thursday. Officials were unsure whether the lightning struck the vessel or near the vessel.
The vessel then capsized, leaving one student hospitalized and another missing after the students were forced into the water. The three remaining students were treated on scene and released to their parents, Davis said Thursday.
The body of the missing student was recovered Friday around 5:15 p.m. after officials launched a search immediately after the student disappeared in the water.
“We are incredibly saddened by this incident and appreciate the efforts of the multiple agencies who worked together over the past 24 hours to assist in the rescue,” Orlando Fire Department spokesperson Jennifer DeSantis said in a statement.
The student’s identity was not released Friday.
According to radar near the lake, at least four lightning strikes in total happened between 5:46 p.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday.
CNN had reached out to Orlando Public Schools and the North Orlando Rowing Complex for further information.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
