Overview

• Florida Fish and Wildlife officers searching for two overdue hunters found their vehicle near Rucks Dairy Road and alerted deputies around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.
• Deputies located the men and their two hunting dogs deceased on a levee next to Canal C-41A in the far southeast corner of Highlands County.
• Detectives said preliminary evidence points to a lightning strike on Monday evening, with autopsies to establish the official cause and time of death.
• Authorities identified the victims as Alexander Karl Getz, 38, and Peter James Stansky, 31, both of Miami.
• Sheriff Paul Blackman urged people to heed lightning safety guidance, noting Florida’s high strike frequency and National Weather Service data showing 18 U.S. lightning fatalities this year, including three in Florida.