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last mo.

GBI Investigates Lightning Deaths of Georgia Football Graduates as Community Raises Funds

Highlighting two of the nation’s nine lightning fatalities this year, the tragedy underscores the danger of summer storms for outdoor recreation.

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Two former high school football teammates were killed by a reported lightning strike in south Georgia while they were fishing near an open field, according to their families and local officials.
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Overview

  • On July 10, Ware County High graduates and football teammates Joey Nelson Jr., 19, and Randall Martin III, 18, were struck and killed by lightning while fishing near Waresboro, Georgia.
  • The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has taken charge of the scene and is awaiting autopsy results to confirm the precise cause of death.
  • Local fundraisers have collected over $9,500 for Nelson and $3,000 for Martin to assist with their funeral and memorial expenses.
  • Ware County Football issued public condolences on X, remembering Nelson and Martin as fun-loving young men who brought joy to their teammates.
  • The National Lightning Safety Council counts these as the nation’s eighth and ninth lightning fatalities of the year and warns that fishing ranks among the most dangerous summer activities.