Loved ones of 18-year-old Michael Aiden Vargas share he died while doing what he loved–hanging with his dad on the water.
Vargas, who went by Aiden, was an avid angler and a high school senior. He was kayaking with his father on Blackwater River in Milton, Florida, on May 31 when he was struck by lightning.
Lightning strikes
Aiden’s father Michael Vargas said that he and Aiden were trying to get back to the docks as storm clouds gathered above the river.
“The storm was coming in, and we could see the docks, you know. We were almost there,” Michael Vargas said in an interview.
Before he could reach the shore, Aiden was struck by lightning and fell into the water. Michael Vargas and other bystanders immediately began looking for Aiden, but his body didn’t resurface. Authorities were called, and a multi-agency search began.
“I heard a very large lightning strike, so loud that it was ear piercing and scared me,” a man nearby where the strike occurred told Pensacola News Journal. “Like 20 minutes go by and I see 10 to 15 cops walking the shore and some went by on a boat. They let us know there was a lightning strike and didn’t say much else.”
Dive teams and sonar equipment were used to search the bottom of the river, and Aiden was eventually found deceased in the water.
“I know he didn’t suffer. I know that it was something quick and instantaneous. And one day, we’ll see him again,” Michael Vargas told Fox News.
Minimizing risk
As the sky darkened and the storm moved in, Michael Vargas says the water stayed calm, so the father and son duo weren’t feeling very concerned.
“The conditions weren’t something where we were so worried and so feared for our lives, where you know, it was so calm for what ended up happening,” he said.
Emily Powell with the Florida Climate Center says lightning is more random than other severe weather events. It gives very little advance warning, striking quickly and sometimes far from where the storm seems the worst.
“Once convection is triggered the thunderstorms can develop really rapidly,” told Pensacola News Journal. “Also, what catches people off guard is the lighting can happen at the periphery of the storm and strike 10 miles away.”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports lightning can strike as far as 25 miles out from a thunderstorm. Because of lightning’s unpredictability, NOLS recommends paddlers should watch the sky diligently for approaching or developing clouds that could indicate thunderstorms and get off the water before the storm arrives. If you wait to move until you hear thunder, you may run out of time to reach safety.
Once on shore, paddlers should look for a safer spot to wait out the storm. That means staying away from tall trees, wide open areas, hilltops and open water. If you’re in the frontcountry, seek shelter in a car or a closed building. If you’re in the backcountry, look for flat ground and stands of trees of even heights. NOLS also considers both gently rolling terrain and deep canyons to be safer terrain.
While waiting for the storm to pass, paddlers should try to reduce their overall footprint. Doing so somewhat reduces the risk of being hit by ground current if an object nearby is struck. NOLS refers to this as the “lightning position” and recommends you stand or squat with your feet close together or sit cross-legged. Avoid lying down as this maximizes your contact with the ground. The lightning position is not a substitute for seeking safer terrain and should only be done after you’ve reached a safer spot.
Aiden’s tragic death also emphasizes just how crucial it is for paddlers to always wear a personal flotation device (PFD) when on the water. Once he was struck, Aiden’s body sank, making it difficult for bystanders and rescue crews to find him. Even strong swimmers should always wear a PFD.
