New Jersey man killed by lightning while trying to warn children on the beach about an impending storm

A New Jersey man died over the weekend in Seaside Park when he was struck by lightning while trying to warn a group of children about a dangerous thunderstorm.

Patrick Dispoto, 59, made sure his girlfriend Ruth Fussel was safe in her car before returning to J Street Beach on Sunday evening, the woman told News 12 New Jersey.

He went back up the dune and onto the sand to warn a group of children about the approaching storm. There were no lifeguards on duty, Fussel told the outlet.

Seaside Park police told the Asbury Park Press that Dispoto was found unconscious on the beach at about 7:38 p.m. CPR was performed at the scene before he was taken to an area hospital and pronounced dead at about 9 p.m.

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Patrick Dispoto is pictured in an undated Facebook photo. (Patrick Dispoto on Facebook)

Patrick Dispoto, 59, was struck by lightning at J Street Beach in Seaside Park, New Jersey. (Google Maps)

An autopsy confirmed Tuesday that Dispoto died accidental death from a lightning strike, News 12 reported.

Seaside Park police told the Asbury Park Press that the beach was closed at the time and no one had noticed the fatal lightning strike.

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Patrick Dispoto was found unconscious on the beach around 7:38 p.m. Sunday, Seaside Park police said. (Seaside Park Police Department)

Dispoto’s death came just as the New Jersey city is looking to upgrade its lightning detection system to warn beachgoers of impending storms. The plan has been in the works for about a year, according to the Asbury Park Press.

“We don’t want to tell people when the storm is coming. We want to tell them the storm is coming so they can get ahead of it,” Seaside Park lifeguard captain Jim Rankin told News 12.

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According to the National Weather Service, about 86 people are struck by lightning in the United States each year. (Fox 5 DC WTTG)

“The beach is a very dangerous place during a thunderstorm, so if you feel things like the wind shifting, if it’s swinging back and forth between hot and cold, if you see the clouds or hear faint rumbles of thunder, those are signs to leave the beach,” Rankin said.

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According to the National Weather Service, approximately 86 people have died each year in the United States from lightning strikes since 1959.