FREAK ACCIDENT

New Jersey Man Dies After Getting Hit by Lightning on Golf Course

Simon John Mariani succumbed to his injuries days after the accident.

A golfer has passed away on Monday after being struck by lightning during a game, according to his obituary. The lightning struck Simon John Mariani, 28, during a golf competition on Thursday, July 8 at Ballyowen Golf Club. An unexpected storm had formed in the minutes before the golfer was struck, said fellow golfer Brian Delia to ABC7. An off-duty firefighter and surrounding golfers administered CPR before the victim was medically evacuated to a hospital. The golf club’s spokesperson claimed that appropriate responses were taken to ensure the safety of golfers, such as sounding an alarm for them to take cover when the storm rolled in, but the group reported hearing no such alarm. “Nobody [said] anything to us, we didn’t hear any horns to get off the course at all. They started blowing the horns when we were back at the clubhouse and that was after the police were already out there,” Delia said. According to his obituary, Mariani’s “love for his family, career, the outdoors and sports reflected his zest for life.” He is survived by his parents and two sisters.