Florida men survive after boat is struck by lightning

COCOA BEACH, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - A Cocoa Beach man credited quick thinking for his survival, after a boat he was on was struck by lightning, while traveling in the Bahamas. The incident happened on Thursday.

Stanley Lockard and three of his friends were on a fishing trip north of the Bahamas, when their boat was struck by lightning.

“All the wiring on the boat was smoking,” he said. “I felt a tingle, and of course couldn’t hear, which was scary, because I didn’t know if I was going to hear again.”

Lockard said the men went into survival mode after the strike.

“Everybody did what they needed to do. We put the mayday out, we transferred our mayday coordinates to a boat,” said Lockard.

After waiting some time, the men were spotted by a fisherman from Stuart, Florida, who towed them miles back to their dock. Lockard now wants to thank the man.

“If this fisherman sees me, thank you! We don’t know his name, we don’t know anything about this guy. He towed us for an hour-and-a-half back to our dock, and he wouldn’t take a penny,” Lockard said. “I want to take him to dinner.”