Lightning Blast Hits Jet Skier — Tragedy Follows

U.S. Coast Guard patrol boat speeding on open water — Photo: Ted PAGEL / Shutterstock

A Utah husband and father died after a lightning strike hit while he rode a Jet Ski near Fort De Soto in Florida.

Story Highlights

Deputies responded around 6:30 p.m. to a lightning strike report near Fort De Soto.
The victim was identified as Steve Matheson of Utah and later died at a hospital.
Reports say he was on a personal watercraft when the storm moved through the area.
Safety groups say Florida leads the nation in lightning deaths most years.

Deputies Report Lightning Strike Near Fort De Soto

Pinellas County deputies said they responded near Fort De Soto at about 6:30 p.m. after a call that a jet skier had been struck by lightning. Local outlets cited the sheriff’s office description of a personal watercraft incident tied to the storm. First responders treated the victim at the scene and moved him to a nearby hospital. Reporters placed the response on Saturday evening along the park’s waters, which draw heavy weekend boating and beach activity in late summer.

AccuWeather reported hundreds of lightning flashes in the area between 6:00 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. The report cited 482 total flashes, including a large share of cloud-to-ground strikes. The closest strike was logged near 6:21 p.m., which matches the response window given by deputies. These details line up with the local reports that a storm cell pushed across the Tampa Bay channels and the Fort De Soto shoreline as people wrapped up the day.

Victim Identified As Utah Husband And Father

News outlets identified the victim as Steve Matheson of Utah. Reporters described him as a married father of four and said he was riding a Jet Ski when the strike hit. Local television and newspaper coverage said he arrived at a hospital in critical condition and was later pronounced dead. A family fundraiser page shared his name and family details and said he died Saturday after a lightning strike off the Florida coast while riding a jet ski.

Coverage from multiple stations and newspapers repeated the sheriff’s office account of a lightning strike on the water. Reports varied slightly on the exact spot, using phrases like “near Fort De Soto,” “at Fort De Soto Park,” or “off the coast.” Those descriptions point to the same general area at the mouth of Tampa Bay. One outlet listed his age as 41, while another said 47, which remains unresolved in public reports so far.

Florida’s Lightning Risk Is Real And Recurring

Florida leads the nation in lightning deaths over the long term, according to weather research and safety tracking. Analysts and government weather offices have documented that most victims are outdoors, often during recreation like boating, beachgoing, or fishing. Men make up most of the victims in these settings. This pattern helps explain why a sudden strike over the open water near Fort De Soto can turn a normal weekend ride into a deadly event in seconds.

National lightning fatality trackers and local reporting cited this death among Florida’s yearly toll. A lightning safety group and news outlets said the Fort De Soto case was counted among Florida’s lightning deaths this year and part of the national total. These counts shift week to week during storm season but remain higher in Florida than in any other state, year after year, due to frequent thunderstorms and high outdoor activity.

Safety Lessons For Boaters And Beachgoers

Weather warnings work best when people act fast, especially on the water. Thunder means lightning is near enough to strike, even when skies look partly clear. Boaters and riders should head to shore at the first sound of thunder and wait 30 minutes after the last rumble before going back out. Phones, marine radios, and local beach alerts can help people avoid the common trap of trying to “finish one last run” as storms move in.

REST IN PEACE: Steve Matheson, a father of four, was killed after being struck by lightning near Fort DeSoto Saturday evening. https://t.co/ialOgi44kQ pic.twitter.com/RNBLxZMFLG

— WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) August 31, 2026

Local authorities, weather services, and safety groups urge simple steps that save lives. Plan afternoon outings around storm chances, which peak later in the day. Build a backup plan to get to shelter quickly. Avoid open water, tall objects, and metal during storms. This tragedy near Fort De Soto shows how fast a summer day can shift. Families across the country feel that risk when storms build, and clear choices can cut danger for those we love.