A family vacation on Florida’s Gulf Coast turned tragic when a beachgoer was killed and three others were injured after lightning struck swimmers in the water off Fort Myers Beach.

Authorities say the group had been swimming in the Gulf of Mexico when a powerful bolt of lightning hit the area, striking an unidentified man directly. Witnesses reported seeing the man collapse in the water as others nearby were knocked down or stunned by the electrical surge.

Rescuers and bystanders rushed to pull the man from the surf and began CPR on the sand as storm clouds gathered overhead. Despite their efforts, he was pronounced dead by the time emergency crews arrived. Three other swimmers who had been wading nearby were injured and transported to a local hospital. Officials said those survivors appeared to be in stable condition.

Witnesses described the strike as sudden and overwhelming. Beachgoer Debra Crombie, visiting Fort Myers Beach on an annual family trip, recalled a deafening blast and blinding flash that left people disoriented.

“All of a sudden, it sounded like an atomic bomb went off,” she told local reporters. She said the light was so intense that “our ears hurt, our eyes were blinded by it.” A relative standing with her saw the bolt hit the water and appear to split, sending people scrambling from the shoreline.

Moments later, Crombie said, children were seen sprinting from the beach toward nearby resorts, screaming that someone had been hit. She watched as beachgoers and lifeguards converged on the victim, working frantically to revive him while others called 911.

Crombie believes the man who died had been staying at her resort with his family. “We saw his child earlier in the day, and everyone was crying on and off, and I just can’t stop thinking about this family,” she said. “It was supposed to be this beautiful experience on beautiful Fort Myers Beach and now it’s not.”

Local officials used the incident to underscore the danger of remaining in or near the water when thunderstorms approach. Lightning safety experts warn that if thunder can be heard, lightning is close enough to strike, and beachgoers should immediately seek shelter indoors.