A lightning strike at the popular St. Augustine Pier Friday afternoon left three people injured, including one in critical condition.
The incident was reported just after 3 p.m., prompting an immediate response from emergency crews.
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According to officials, the victims were on the pier when lightning struck. One person suffered critical injuries, another sustained minor injuries, and the third refused to be transported to the hospital.
A fisherman, Rafael Cosme, who was on the pier at the time, captured video of the aftermath and shared it only with Action News Jax.
“I was right there when I heard the strike,” Cosme said.
Surveillance footage from the nearby Surf Station also recorded the lightning strike.
In the video, a flash can be seen hitting the pier, striking three people. Several bystanders are seen running toward the scene. Cosme can also be spotted at the edge of the pier.
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“And I looked around to see if someone was injured by this lightning strike,” Cosme said.
Another clip shows Cosme walking toward a man lying on the ground. Several people are seen rushing to his aid.
“Everything happened so fast,” Cosme recalled.
At this time, it remains unclear what the relationship is between the three people who were injured.
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St. Augustine Beach Mayor Dylan Rumrell reflected on a previous lightning strike incident in the area and emphasized the danger these events pose.
“In St. John’s County in 2023, there was a female teenager who was struck by lightning over at Roberts Road, which is off of State Road 13. That’s the last one here in St. John’s County. Over the last several years from 1959 to 2024, 528 people were struck by lightning in the state of Florida and died. So this isn’t something to play with,” said Mayor Rumrell.
As of now, the identity of the victims has not been released, and their connection to one another remains unknown.
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