Overview

• One victim was hospitalized in critical condition and another with minor injuries after Saturday night’s strike while a third declined transport
• St. Johns County Fire Rescue and St. Augustine Fire Department shut the pier to assess structural damage with reopening slated for Monday
• Fire rescue posted on Facebook that “when thunder roars, go indoors” as sudden storms can produce deadly bolts
• Eyewitnesses described a bright flash followed by a booming crack that sent swimmers and surfers fleeing toward their cars in panic
• The National Weather Service reports six lightning fatalities in the U.S. so far this year and advises moving away from open water at the first sound of thunder