A 20 year-old man who studied previously at Santa Monica College and was headed to the University of Southern California died after he was electrocuted by a lightning strike a Venice Beach on July 27.
The parents of Nick Fagnano of Los Angeles confirmed that the sole fatality at the beach was their son on July 28.
A total of four strikes hit Venice Beach during the thunderstorm that injured 13 people, who were treated at the scene by Los Angeles city paramedics. Los Angeles Fire Dept spokeswoman Katherine Main said eight of the people treated were transferred to local hospitals. “Everyone who was injured or complaining of some condition was either in the water or near the edge of the ocean,” Main said.
One patient was listed in grave condition and a 55 year –old lifeguard who was listed in critical condition is now improving, according to a spokeswoman at Ronald Reagan Hospital, where the victim is being treated.
Roxanne Brown, 58, of Venice was on the beach with three of her friends when she saw lightening hit the water. “I saw two glowing yellow lines that went into the sand about a foot in front of me. It was as if they were beside me,” Brown said. One of her friends who lives on Fleet Street? a block west of where witnesses first lightning? suggested that they take metal chairs with them for their day on the beach.
“I’m glad that we decided to just sit on blankets,” Brown said.
Stuart Set of the National Weather Service confirmed the number of lightening strikes.