William Friend, Husband Of 'One Tree Hill' Star Bevin Prince, Dies After Being Struck By Lightning

William Friend and Bevin Prince pictured together in November 2020.  (Photo: Bevin Prince/Instagram)

William Friend, the husband of “One Tree Hill” star Bevin Prince, died on Sunday at age 33 after being struck by lightning.

Friend was killed while he was on a boat near Masonboro Island in North Carolina during a storm, according to the National Lightning Safety Council, a nonprofit that promotes lightning safety education and documents related fatalities in the United States.

Authorities responded to the scene after being flagged down by eyewitnesses and performed CPR before he was taken to a nearby marina for medical attention, local news outlet WECT-TV reported. Friend was then pronounced dead after emergency responders tried to resuscitate him for 20 minutes.

Friend’s death is the third lightning-related fatality in the United States this year, according to the safety council, which noted that July is “typically the deadliest month of the year for lightning in the U.S., averaging eight fatalities based on the past 10 years.”

Prince, who starred on the beloved CW series in a recurring role as Bevin Mirskey, has yet to share a statement.

The fitness studio Recess, which the couple founded in Wilmington, North Carolina, where “One Tree Hill” was filmed, released a message via Instagram on Wednesday.

Bevin Prince arrives at the CW Launch party in 2006.  (Photo: Michael Caulfield Archive via Getty Images)

“We greatly appreciate the outpouring of love and support we’ve received from our Recess community,” the post read. “Will’s knowledge, guidance, and support is the foundation that Recess is built on.”

Prince’s close friend and “You Again” co-star Odette Annable also posted a heartbreaking tribute following Friend’s death.

“Will, it feels surreal writing this. Mostly because it feels like you were just getting started,” she wrote alongside a carousel of photos. “The life and love that you gave to my best friend made it feel okay that we were thousands of miles apart.”

“You were perfect for her in every way. You supported her dreams, you made her feel seen, you adored her with every bit of your soul and I will forever be grateful to witness that kind of love,” she continued. “Being here with Bevin, hearing her share stories about you and your love breaks my heart for her, because she lost the love of her life and the world lost a really really good one.”

Prince’s “One Tree Hill” co-star and friend Sophia Bush added to the outpouring of tributes to Friend, writing in an Instagram Story that she was “heartbroken and at a loss.”

“Our family is grieving one of our own. Please lift @bevinaprince in whatever way you are able. Show her the love she deserves; the love her husband always showed her.”

Prince and Friend tied the knot in 2016 and moved to North Carolina in 2020 to be closer to her family during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Friend, who was born in London and moved to the United States for high school, was also the CEO of the commercial real estate media company Bisnow, where he worked since 2010.

Celebrating their five-year wedding anniversary in May 2021, Prince wrote in an Instagram post at the time that she was “so lucky to know you, to love you, and to learn with you.”

“We have come so far and I am so proud of the life we have built. You make life delicious, my love. I love you.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up in Friend’s honor to support Recess and the Special Operators Transition Foundation, which offers “essential transitional services and family stabilization support” to military veterans.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.