A 20-year-old Michigan man who had only recently arrived in Central Florida to take part in the Disney College Program died after what authorities and his family described as an apparent lightning strike along a walking trail.
Matthew Eric Jenkins, a native of Shelby Township, Michigan, was discovered unresponsive Tuesday evening on a path located behind a hotel in Celebration, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said.
Jenkins’ father told WESH-TV that his son had relocated to Central Florida the previous week to start the Walt Disney World internship program.
Deputies responded around 6:25 p.m. to the walking path in the 700 block of Bloom Street, where investigators said a lightning strike had occurred in the area. (FOX35 Orlando WOFL)
The sheriff’s office said deputies were dispatched to the Bloom Street path at approximately 6:25 p.m., and investigators later noted that lightning had hit nearby.
Spyro Betz, who had been walking nearby before reaching his car, told FOX35 Orlando he heard a powerful crack of lightning.
“I heard the big crack of lightning that was like right overhead,” Betz said.
He initially thought it had struck a building.
Matthew Eric Jenkins, of Shelby Township, Michigan, was found unresponsive Tuesday evening on a walking path behind a hotel in Celebration, according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. (FOX35 Orlando WOFL)
“When I heard the lightning strike I expected it hit the building or something like that or hit the hotel, I didn’t expect it to hit a person,” Betz said.
Felipe Costa told WESH-TV he ran toward the path after hearing the lightning and found Jenkins on the ground.
“As soon as I heard that, I started running and I came over here [where it happened]. That’s when I saw the man,” Costa said.
A woman joined Costa and began performing CPR while they waited for first responders.
The sheriff’s office said detectives are awaiting the medical examiner’s determination of Jenkins’ official cause of death. (FOX35 Orlando WOFL)
Jenkins was taken to AdventHealth Celebration, where he was pronounced dead.
Jenkins’ father told the outlet that the family was grateful to everyone who tried to help his son.
The sheriff’s office said detectives are awaiting the medical examiner’s determination of Jenkins’ official cause of death.