x
Breaking News
More () »

Roofer killed after being struck by lightning in Central Florida

Edvin Velasquez Cinto was struck just before 2 p.m. while working on the roof of a home in Deltona.

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. —

A 24-year-old roofer was killed Monday afternoon after a lightning bolt struck him while he was working on a Central Florida home, according to multiple reports. 

Edvin Velasquez Cinto was struck just before 2 p.m. while working on the roof of a home in Deltona, which is 25 miles outside of Orlando, FOX 35 reported.

Witnesses who were working nearby told the news outlet that Cinto "looked stunned" before falling through a hole in the roof to a concrete floor.  

"Someone has fallen from a roof! I think he’s unconscious," a 911 caller reportedly said. "They’re saying he was struck by lightning." 

In a news release, Volusia County Sheriff's Office said when they found Cinto he smelt of burnt hair and his sock was melted to his foot, FOX 35 reported.  

Cinto was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died.

   

 

Yahoo News reported that a preliminary examination of Cinto's body was consistent with a lightning strike, but an official cause of death will be determined by a medical examiner.  

Four people, including Cinto, have been killed by lightning strikes this year, according to the National Weather Service 

Credit: National Weather Service

NOAA says that most lightning occurs during the summer, but people can be struck at any time of the year. The agency says lightning kills about 20 people in the United States each year.

Before You Leave, Check This Out