Two men from the Miami area were killed in an apparent lightning strike in central Florida, authorities said.
Officials began searching for the men on Wednesday after they went hunting and did not return, according to the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers and deputies first located their car and then found their bodies on a levee next to a canal. The bodies of their two hunting dogs were also recovered.
Investigators believe the men died from a lightning strike on Monday evening, though a medical examiner will determine the exact cause of death.
The victims, ages 38 and 31, remain unnamed.
“Our area gets more lightning than just about anywhere else in the country, especially in the summer. If you can hear thunder, that means lightning is close enough to strike, even if the sky doesn’t look too bad yet,” said Highlands County Sheriff Paul Blackman. “It is essential to pay attention and plan ahead when storms approach.”
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