© 2024 WRVO Public Media
NPR News for Central New York
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Man dies after being struck by lightning in Madison County

New York State Police

Update as of 3:41 p.m.: The Madison County Sheriff’s Office has identified the three men. The man who died from his injuries was Lauro Zhunaula Saca, 39, from Middletown, NY.

The other two men who were struck and saw minor injuries were Ronaldo Zhunaula, 25, and Wilfrido Zhingre, 35. Ronaldo Zhunaula and Lauro Zhunaula Saca are brothers.

Three men were struck by lightning Monday afternoon in the Town of Lincoln. The Madison County Sheriff's Office said one of the men, a 39-year-old, has now died from his injuries.

All three men were employees of "The Roofing Guys" roofing company and were working at 6904 Forbes Road in the Town of Lincoln. The Madison County Sheriff's Office said the three men were sitting under a tree in the yard of the residence waiting for a thunderstorm to pass before they continued working at the address. The three were affected by a lightning strike at a nearby flag pole at approximately 2:28 p.m.

Deputies found the 39-year-old unconscious and not breathing. The deputies were able to revive him and all three men were transported to Oneida Hospital for treatment. Two men suffered minor injuries and were released and the 39-year-old was transferred to St. Elizabeth's Hospital where he later died.

"Madison County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind people if they are caught outside during a storm to take shelter in a sturdy enclosed building or hard top automobile immediately," the Sheriff's Office said in a release. "Avoid open spaces, trees, isolated objects, high ground or metallic objects. Get out of boats and away from bodies of water."

Ava Pukatch joined the WRVO news team in September 2022. She previously reported for WCHL in Chapel Hill, NC and earned a degree in Journalism and Media from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At UNC, Ava was a Stembler Scholar and a reporter and producer for the award-winning UNC Hussman broadcast Carolina Connection. In her free time, Ava enjoys theatre, coffee and cheering on Tar Heel sports. Find her on Twitter @apukatch.