‘A FIGHTER’

Florida Teen Dies After Being Struck by Lightning on Hunting Trip With Dad

The 16-year-old girl and her father were both hit after the lightning bolt struck a tree in Florida.

A teenage girl died Thursday morning after being struck by lightning while on a hunting trip with her father in Florida, authorities announced. Baylee Holbrook, 16, and her father, Matthew Holbrook, were both hit when a lightning bolt struck a tree near them late Tuesday afternoon, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. Matthew Holbrook, who “lost consciousness,” awoke to find Baylee wasn’t breathing, police said. He called 911 and began providing CPR while emergency personnel responded to the scene. The teenager was transported to a local hospital, where she was listed in critical condition on Wednesday, the sheriff’s office said at the time. Friends and relatives who gathered at a local high school for a vigil that day told WJAX that Baylee was a varsity cheerleader with a smile that could light up a room. “She has proven a fighter and our prayers extend to her, her family and friends,” the sheriff’s office said. Authorities also warned that there had been a recent increase in lightning strikes in the area.