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A 20-year-old Michigan man who had moved to Central Florida just days earlier to begin the Disney College Program was killed in an apparent lightning strike while on a walking path, authorities and his family said.
Matthew Eric Jenkins of Shelby Township, Michigan, was found unresponsive Tuesday evening on a walking path behind a hotel in Celebration, according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.
Jenkins’ father told WESH-TV his son had moved to Central Florida last week to begin the internship program at Walt Disney World.
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Deputies were called to the path in the 700 block of Bloom Street at about 6:25 p.m. Investigators said lightning had struck nearby.
Spyro Betz, who had been walking nearby before reaching his car, told FOX35 Orlando he heard a powerful crack of lightning.
“I heard the big crack of lightning that was like right overhead,” Betz said.
He initially thought it had struck a building.
“When I heard the lightning strike, I expected it hit the building or something like that or hit the hotel. I didn’t expect it to hit a person,” Betz said.
Felipe Costa told WESH-TV he ran toward the path after hearing the lightning and found Jenkins on the ground.
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“As soon as I heard that, I started running, and I came over here [where it happened]. That’s when I saw the man,” Costa said.
A woman joined Costa and began performing CPR while they waited for first responders.
Jenkins was taken to AdventHealth Celebration, where he was pronounced dead.
Jenkins’ father told the outlet that the family was grateful to everyone who tried to help his son.
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The sheriff’s office said detectives are awaiting the medical examiner’s determination of Jenkins’ official cause of death.
