A man died over the weekend after he was struck by lightning while he tried to warn beachgoers about an impending storm in Seaside Park, N.J., on Sunday, June 23, reports News 12 New Jersey, Asbury Park Press and Jersey Shore Online.
Patrick Dispoto, 59, was found unconscious on J Street Beach in Seaside Park around 7:40 p.m. on Sunday. He was then taken to the local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, officials said, per News 12 New Jersey.
Dispoto’s girlfriend, Ruth Fussell, told News 12 New Jersey that Dispoto took her to safety in the car and then returned to the shore to warn a group of kids about the incoming storm. Lifeguards were no longer on duty at the time.
Once he was back near the shore, the storm rolled in with thunder and lightning. Shortly after, Dispoto was found unresponsive and CPR was attempted immediately.
He was pronounced dead just before 9 p.m. after he arrived at the hospital.
An autopsy conducted Tuesday confirmed that Dispoto died an accidental death caused by lightning, News 12 New Jersey reports. Sgt. Andrew Casole of the Seaside Park police also told Asbury Park Press that the cause of death was a lightning strike.
Patrick Dispoto/Facebook
The Seaside Park town is currently updating its lightning detection systems; despite the advancements, the new sensors are not operational, per News 12 New Jersey.
“We don’t want to tell people when the storm is here, we want to tell people that the storm is coming so that they can stay ahead of it,” Seaside Park lifeguard captain Jim Rankin told News 12 New Jersey.
“In the event of a thunderstorm, the beach is a very dangerous place to be. So if you feel things like a wind shift, if it’s fluttering back and forth between hot and cold, you see the clouds, you hear little rumbles of thunder — those are signs to get off the beach,” Rankin said.
“By definition, every thunderstorm contains lightning. Therefore, every thunderstorm is potentially dangerous,” New Jersey 101.5 chief meteorologist Dan Zarrow said.
“Lightning is always looking for the easiest path from cloud-to-ground,” Zarrow said, adding, “On a wide open beach — with no trees, buildings, or structures around — a person can often be the most effective conductor around.”
“If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm to be struck by lightning,” Zarrow said, adding one key safety tip: “When thunder roars, head indoors.”
Mark Makela/Getty
At any given moment “there are approximately 1,800 thunderstorms occurring over the Earth,” meaning roughly 100 lightning flashes each second and nearly 8 million per day, according to the National Weather Service. Since 1959, approximately 86 people have died each year across the U.S. due to lightning strikes.
According to the NWA, the average person has a one-in-600,000 chance of being struck by lightning during their lifetime; however, most fatal incidents occur when people are swimming, hiking, or playing golf.
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A representative for Seaside Park Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information on Tuesday.
