Beloved school band member dies after possibly hit by a lightning strike, authorities say
An 11th-grader at a Hollywood high school died Wednesday evening after a possible lightning strike sent him into cardiac arrest while he was riding his bike, authorities say.
Around 5:30 p.m., Pembroke Pines Fire Rescue responded to the area around 650 SW 67th Ave. where they found 16-year-old Cameron Day, a student at McArthur High School in Hollywood, unresponsive underneath a tree, authorities say.
His parents, Cameron Day Sr. and Lealani Roker, told Herald news partner CBS Miami that Cameron was their youngest child and only son.
“Cameron was diagnosed with autism at the age of four, and with early intervention and our determination for him to be able to fend for himself if anything was to ever happen to us, he BEAT THE ODDS! Cameron was a tuba player at McArthur High School, a member of SGA, and an Ambassador of the Florida Atlantic University Upward Bound Math and Science TRIO Program,” the couple said in a statement to the TV station.
Fire rescue treated him for cardiac arrest and transported him to Memorial Regional Hospital, where he died.
“We don’t have confirmation yet, but it does appear as though the patient was struck by lightning with burn wounds noted to the patient’s chest and inner thighs,” said Pembroke Pines Fire Rescue Division Chief Scott Gunn in an email to the Herald.
McArthur High School Principal Mark Howard sent an email on Thursday to staff and families confirming the teen’s death.
“... Though i’m unable to share additional details regarding the student’s untimely death, I offer my deepest condolences to student’s family and loved ones, teachers and class mates. He will be missed,” Howard wrote.
A gofundme page noted that Cameron was a dedicated musician in McArthur’s Herd of Sound band.
“He was a bright light and sweet soul who touched the lives of so many,” wrote Jessica Santos. “His passion for music, leadership, and unwavering love for his bandmates and band, McArthur’s Herd of Sound, made him an integral part of our family.”
McArthur High will offer grief counseling “for as long as it is necessary,” Howard said.
Lightning capital
Florida has seen four lightning-related deaths so far in 2024, the most out of any state, according to the National Weather Service. If Cameron’s death is confirmed to be caused by a lighting strike, he would be the fifth this year.
In June, 19-year-old Ethan Lawrence died after being struck by lightning in Vista View Park in Davie.
Lightning strikes remain quite rare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the chances of being struck by lightning in any given year are less than 1 in a million, and nearly 90% of those struck survive.
That said, Florida has a much higher frequency of lightning strikes than most places, earning it the title of “lightning capital,” according to the CDC. In the last 50 years, more than 2,000 people in the state have sustained injuries from lightning.
