Family mourns new father who died from lightning strike while jogging in the park

DAVIE, Fla. (WSVN) – A Florida family said they are devastated by the loss of a 19-year-old college student and new father who was killed by a lightning strike while jogging in a park.

Davie Fire Rescue confirmed that 19-year-old Ethan Lawrence was killed when he was struck by lightning at Vista View Park on Sunday morning. His mother, Lourdes Lawrence, said she was devastated by her son’s death.

“He was my pride and joy and I can’t believe I’m going to continue this life without him,” she said.

Ethan Lawrence attended Nova Southeastern University, where he received a dean’s scholarship. He wanted to run cross country, so he did some conditioning training.

“We don’t understand why, but the only consolation I have is that he died doing what he loved,” his mother said.

Just months before the 19-year-old’s death, life was a shock for him when he learned that his girlfriend Andrea Lares was pregnant. He handled the unexpected situation with love and class, his mother says.

The couple’s daughter, Emara, was born on December 11.

Lares said she is still in shock that her daughter’s father has died.

“I’m still trying to process all of this because it happened in a matter of seconds. He texted me in the morning: ‘Good morning honey, I woke up late today,'” she said.

It was drizzling when Ethan Lawrence told his mother he was going for a run in the park. Several hours later, a worried Lourdes Lawrence tracked down his location. When there was no change, she sent her husband Patrick Lawrence to the park to find the 19-year-old.

“The detectives came to my car and told me, ‘I don’t know if there’s an easy way to say this, so I’ll just tell you that unfortunately your son was on the run, got struck by lightning and didn’t make it,'” Patrick Lawrence said.

Lourdes Lawrence said her body was physically shaken at the time her son was struck by lightning.

“It was about that time that I was upstairs and I felt a very sharp pain in my chest,” she said. “I asked myself, ‘Am I having a heart attack? What’s going on?’ Then I said to myself, ‘He’s gone. Why my son? Why?'”

Ethan Lawrence’s family went to the park on Monday hoping to find answers to some of their questions. His mother says she felt her son was leading them to the cross he was carrying when he died.

“We went to the accident site and Ethan led me to where he had been hit. I saw the hole in the ground, looked down and my husband said, ‘Look, his cross,'” she said. “That’s his way of telling me, ‘Mom, I’m OK. You’re OK.'”

Part of the good feeling is knowing that a part of the 19-year-old lives on in his daughter.

“Now he’s left us a piece of his DNA to pass on. He had a crush on her,” said Lourdes Lawrence. “I’m so grateful and happy that I had 19 wonderful years with my son.”

The mother says she will spend the rest of her life making sure everyone knows that her son was an amazing person and a good soul.

Florida is the lightning capital of the United States. On average, 10 people are killed and 40 injured by lightning strikes in this state each year.

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