Lightning that struck a boat on the Indian River in Florida’s Brevard County killed the pilot and injured a passenger who required hospitalization.

Lightning hit the boat being operated by Peter Strong, 39, of West Melbourne, Florida. The craft was just south of the Pineda Point Marina when it was caught in the storm on Sunday.

Strong died from the lightning strike despite attempted life-saving measures by rescuers. An unidentified female passenger was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.

Strong’s death was the second lightning-related fatality in the U.S. this year, according to Accuweather.

The victim was a regular at the marina, and a friend told WOFL-TV, an Orlando Fox affiliate, that he had been training to become an official boating captain.

“He would spend the early days of the week cleaning, probably to use it on the weekend. He looked pretty happy,” Edgardo Plaza, a technician at the marina, told WOFL-TV.

Strong is survived by his 13-year-old daughter.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.