A Michigan man who had recently moved to Florida to participate in a Disney program for college students was recently fatally struck by lightning, officials said.
At 6:25 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8, the Osceola County (Florida) Sheriff's Office received a report that a man was unresponsive following a lightning strike.
The man, later identified as Matthew Eric Jenkins, 20, of Shelby Township had collapsed on a walking path behind a hotel at 700 Bloom St., according to the Osceola County Sheriff's Office. The hotel is located in the census-designated place of Celebration, near Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.
Authorities said bystanders performed CPR on Jenkins until first responders arrived and transported him to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Jenkins' father told WESH-TV in Orlando that his son had recently moved to Florida to take part in the Disney College Program, a paid internship in which college students work at Disney theme parks.
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Matthew," a Disney spokesperson said in a statement. "He had just begun his Disney College Program journey, and will always be remembered as part of our Disney community. Our hearts are with his family, friends and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time."
Authorities in Florida said the medical examiner is investigating the death.
Jenkins is the fourth person in Florida to die due to lightning in less than a month, Florida Today reported.
According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 10% of people who get struck by lightning die; about 26 people are killed due to lightning each year in the United States.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan college student dies in Florida after lightning strike