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1 dead, 2 injured by SW Fla. lightning strike

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A lightning strike has killed one person and injured two others on Fort Myers Beach in southwest Florida.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office says 41-year-old Scott Wilcox of Lehigh Acres was struck by lightning shortly after 2 p.m. Tuesday. The strike apparently killed Wilcox instantly.

Fourteen-year-old Zac Latawiec and 16-year-old Chelsea Gill were injured. They were taken to the hospital, and their conditions were not immediately available.

Witnesses say they heard a loud cracking sound when the lightning struck.

According to local media reports, the storm was so intense that rescue workers had to stay in their vehicles for some time after the strike.

Deputies say Gill was walking and talking before being taken to the hospital.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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