Army veteran killed by lightning in Florida

This Army Veteran Was Killed By A Lightning Strike Right Before His Friend’s Eyes
TAMPA BAY TIMES
By TONY MARRERO
July 1, 2018

“People need to take storms seriously and seek shelter immediately. I never thought this would happen but it has, and it was a horrific experience that will never leave me.”

As the rain poured, Karen Zannone’s new friend turned around and flashed a smile.

Zannone and James Barton had spent hours at the beach Sunday before the storm moved in. Now they were hustling back to Barton’s car, but neither minded the refreshing dousing.

“I remember him looking into my eyes and saying, ‘This is so great, I love the rain,’?” Zannone recalled. “I said, ‘I love the rain, too.’ We were definitely hurrying up to get back, but he was very happy.”

“He said the water was clear and beautiful and he had a great time,” Zannone said.

She grabbed her bag and they started the long trek to the car. About 10 minutes later, the sky opened wider.

They kept walking.

“I’m not afraid of storms and neither is James, so we weren’t thinking about it in a fearful way even though it was really, really bad,” said Zannone, a Florida resident since 1989.

“I’m beating myself up about why I didn’t say, ‘Let’s just go find shelter.’?”
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