Jake Rosencranz, 29, died in a rare and tragic accident while on his honeymoon in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. He and his wife Leah had traveled there for a belated celebration when Jake was struck by lightning while standing in shallow water on June 20. Despite clear skies, the bolt came from a distant storm — a rare event known as “blue-sky lightning.”
Beach officials explained the lightning traveled miles from its source. “There was not a storm immediately over us,” said safety director Tammy Malphurs. Witnesses rushed to help Jake, performing CPR after the strike caused cardiac arrest, but he died in the hospital the next day.
Eyewitnesses described the moment as shocking and surreal. “They were screaming, ‘Help! Somebody’s been struck,’” one said. Another called the scene “terrifying.”
Jake’s family said he “lived with a lightness and joy that touched everyone.” A GoFundMe page has raised over $150,000 to support Leah as she faces life without her husband and best friend. The couple’s dream trip ended in unimaginable heartbreak.
