A teenage boy was seen on haunting doorbell footage just moments before he was struck by lightning while trying to shelter from a storm.
Cameron Day, 16, was riding his bike home in Pembroke Pines, Florida, on Wednesday when he was caught in a torrential downpour.
The teenager appeared to try to hide from the storm underneath a tree, and was last seen on doorbell footage sitting on his bike waiting for it to pass.
Nearby resident Zandra Laguna said she spotted Day sitting on his bike and seconds later heard a ‘really loud’ lightning strike.
Speaking with NBC Miami, she said: ‘I thought I got hit for a second because it was so loud, and it was like a flash, and I realized that I was fine.’
Cameron Day, 16, had been riding his bike home in Pembroke Pines, Florida , on Wednesday when he was caught in a torrential downpour
The teenager decided to hide from the storm underneath a tree, and was last seen on doorbell footage sitting on his bike waiting for it to pass
She continued: ‘So I ran inside, but I heard lightning before but never that loud. No one thinks you’re gonna get hit like that, let alone pass away from it.’
Emergency crews raced to the scene were he was treated for cardiac arrest, he was then rushed to hospital where he died.
Day was a student at McArthur High School, where he was known as being a tuba player
Laguna said: ‘Five minutes after that, the rescue came, they stopped right here, and I noticed that they were picking up that same kid that I just saw standing there.
‘I assumed that the lightning struck him because he was fine a few seconds before.’
Local10 captured images at the scene shows chunks of missing sidewalk where the lightning struck.
According to his family, Day was the youngest of four children and the only boy. He had also been diagnosed with autism at a young age.
Day was a student at McArthur High School, where he was known as being a tuba player.
According to his family, Day was the youngest of four children and the only boy. He had also been diagnosed with autism at a young age
Emergency crews raced to the scene were he was treated for cardiac arrest, he was then rushed to hospital where he died
In a statement, his parents Cameron and Lealani said: ‘As you can believe, we are overwhelmed. His death and the way he died is unfathomable.
‘Cameron was LOVED and brought happiness to everyone he came in contact with in their own special way.’
McArthur High School Principal Mark Howard said in an email: ‘An 11th-grade student passed away yesterday evening.
‘Though I am unable to share additional details regarding the student’s untimely death, I offer my deepest condolences to the student’s family and loved ones, teachers, and classmates. He will be missed.’
Local10 spoke with some of the teenager’s classmates on Friday, who described him as being friendly.
Local10 captured images at the scene shows chunks of missing sidewalk where the lightning struck
Jada Santil told the outlet: ‘He was very nice, outgoing, talked to anyone and he played the instrument very well.
‘That was a crazy thing to happen. I never thought it would happen to anyone I know.’
While another added: ‘Cameron was a good guy. He was very caretaking, knew how to dress and put on the right clothes.’
A GoFundMe page has also since been launched to help his family, which has so far raised over $20,000 toward its $35,000 goal.
According to the National Weather Service, Florida leads the nation in lightning-related deaths – with around 30 people killed each year in the state.
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