WESTON, MASS. (WHDH) – A honeymoon to Florida took a tragic turn when a man from Weston was fatally struck by lightning.
A frightening flash left a Massachusetts family shattered following the death of 29-year-old Jake Rosencranz, who grew up in Weston and was on his honeymoon with his new wife.
Rosencranz was enjoying what many say was a perfectly sunny day when a freak flash of lightning struck him while he was standing in ankle-deep water on New Smyrna Beach. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition and later died.
Witnesses say the strike occurred despite a clear blue sky.
“It was the most crackling electrical hit you could imagine — I mean like fierce.”
One man said he saw it all unfold from a distance on his surfboard.
“That guy was what I could tell was in the water. Somebody tried to drag him out and then they got help. Next thing you know, the lifeguard is here, paramedics, everybody.”
According to Rosencraz’s obituary, he attended the Holderness School in Plymouth, New Hampshire for high school, which is where he met his wife. Most recently, he had been living in Colorado.
His loved ones remembering his as a loving husband, brother, son, and friend.
Safety officials in Florida are describing the freak incident as a blue sky lightning strike.
A celebration of life for the Weston native is being planned for a later date.
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