Florida boat captain dead and passenger injured after lightning appears to strike boat

A Florida boat captain was killed and a passenger was injured when their vessel was believed to have been struck by lightning Sunday, officials said.

First responders were called for a report that lightning had struck a vessel on the Indian River in Brevard County, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement.

They attempted lifesaving measures on the operator, who was identified as Peter Strong, 39, of West Melbourne. Strong was pronounced dead, however, the commission aid.

The passenger, whom officials did not publicly identify, sustained minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital, the wildlife commission said.

The incident was being investigated as a boating accident, the wildlife commission said Tuesday.

It was not clear exactly when the incident happened. Thunderstorms had been expected in the area Sunday night, according to past data from the National Weather Service.

Lightning strikes kill around 20 people and severely injure hundreds of others every year in the U.S., according to the National Weather Service.

Some survivors suffer lifelong neurological damage, according to the weather service.