Michigan Man Tragically Dies After Lightning Strike in Osceola County
Matthew Eric Jenkins was 20 years old and had been living in Central Florida for about a week. Originally from Shelby Township, Michigan, he had moved south to begin the Disney College Program to start of an exciting new chapter in his life.
On a Tuesday evening, a typical summer storm moved over Celebration. Matthew was walking along a path behind a hotel on Bloom Street when lightning struck nearby. Though people nearby had stepped off the path to seek shelter from the rain, they quickly realized someone had fallen.
Deputies with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene at approximately 6:25 p.m., around the same time a severe strike was recorded in the immediate area. Matthew was transported to AdventHealth Celebration, where he was pronounced dead.
In the moments immediately following the strike, strangers did everything they could. Felipe Costa, who was nearby, ran to help the moment he realized what had happened. A woman joined him to administer CPR, and others stayed by their side in the rain until emergency responders arrived. Matthew’s father later shared his family’s deep gratitude for everyone who tried to save his son. Afterward, Costa returned to the path to leave a flower near the spot.
What We Aim to Prevent
In Central Florida, summer thunderstorms are a near-daily routine. They build, pass, and are usually waited out under an awning or in a car. Yet lightning doesn’t arrive with days of warning or a forecasted path. It arrives inside an ordinary evening rain shower.
Lightning often strikes people who are doing nothing wrong. It’s usually people who are simply walking a path, crossing a parking lot, or waiting out a brief shower. It remains one of the severe weather threats taken least seriously, yet it repeatedly leaves families grieving.
Moments like this reflect the heart of our work. No forecast can undo a tragedy, but the work that matters most is what happens beforehand, quietly, and in time for someone to reach safety. We share this story because we hope for a day when these tragic loss-of-life events no longer occur.
Our thoughts are with Matthew’s family in Shelby Township, his friends, and every stranger who stopped to help him.
