Florida Rowing Team Struck by Lightning During Practice, 1 Child Remains Missing
A child is missing in Orlando, Florida near Lake Fairview after a lightning strike injured several members of a youth rowing club team during its practice.
On Thursday, five middle school-aged students, part of the non-profit North Orlando Rowing Club, were in a boat practicing on the lake when lightning struck in the area around 5:50 p.m. and the boat capsized.
Of the five students, four made it to safety. Authorities are still searching for the other.
The missing child's name, nor the names of the other children, were not released by officials.
Jenny DeSantis, a public information officer for the City of Orlando Fire Department, told PEOPLE in a statement that the Orlando Fire Department, its dive team and Orlando Police Department all responded to the incident, working with the Orange County Fire Rescue, Seminole County Sheriff's Office and Orange County Sheriff's Office all night and through the morning hours to search for the child.
"At around 5:30 a.m., the Orange County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit arrived on-site with two boats equipped with sonar to support OFD in the search for the missing student," DeSantis said in her statement. "Orlando Police also remain on scene at this time."
One of the rescued students was transported to AdventHealth Orlando, a local hospital, according to officials, while three other students were assessed on scene for treatment and released without transport.
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A Fox 35 Orlando reporter noted early Friday morning on Twitter that dive teams had not yet clarified whether they were conducting a "rescue" or "recovery" operation.
The Orlando Fire Department is "going to use every diver that we have to see if we can locate the missing child," Orlando Fire Department Executive Deputy Chief Ian Davis said during a press conference, according to CNN.
"If I have fresh divers, I'm going to keep on searching," he added.
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Four lightning strikes occurred in the area near Lake Fairview between 5:46 and 6 p.m. Thursday, according to CNN.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers Florida the United States' "lightning capital," with more than 2,000 lightning injuries incurred over the last 50 years.
17 people in the U.S. had died due to lightning strikes in 2022 as of Sept. 13, according to the National Weather Service.
