Father and son struck by lightning; younger man dies

Three consecutive lightning bolts that struck a tall Australian pine tree in Lake Worth may be responsible for killing a man and critically injuring his father, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s Office.

Enrique Miranda, 71, of Royal Palm Beach, survived but Antonio Miranda, 39, of West Palm Beach, was pronounced dead at the hospital Tuesday, officials said.

The two men were clearing brush with a machete in a wooded area near a large park at 22nd Avenue North and Pierce Drive about 2:46 p.m.

They were standing near the base of the tree that was struck and the electricity knocked them off their feet, investigators said.

Enrique Miranda to call 911.

Both men were taken to St. Mary’s Medical Center, where Antonio Miranda was pronounced dead at 3:28 p.m.

The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s office is expected to perform an autopsy to determine the official cause of death, officials said.

If confirmed, this would be the sixth lightning strike death in Florida this year.

Among those fatalities were landscaper Rico Eltine, 55, of Fort Lauderdale, who was electrocuted a month ago in Margate. And farm worker Maria Francisco Pascual, 53, of Lake Worth, was killed by a lightning bolt while working in Parkland in mid-May. managed