‘NO WARNING’

Teen Lifeguard Killed by Freak Lightning Strike on Jersey Shore Beach

The strike threw the 19-year-old from the lifeguard stand, according to witnesses.

In the second accidental death of a teenage lifeguard working on the Jersey Shore in just over a week, a lightning strike killed 19-year-old Keith Pinto on Monday afternoon. Witnesses told News 12 New Jersey that the bolt came seemingly out of nowhere on Monday afternoon. “It looked a little cloudy in one direction but clear as anything in the other direction,” a local bartender told reporters, “and it was the first lightning of the day.” Some nearby beaches had been cleared—it remains unclear exactly why, as there were no storms reported in the immediate area—but Pinto’s had not. The force of the strike reportedly threw him from his chair. Emergency responders were unable to revive the teen. Four other guards and four beachgoers were also affected by the strike, and taken to local hospitals with minor injuries. The lifeguard stand remains overturned, surrounded now by flowers and handwritten notes.