Tragedy struck when two Miami men and their hunting dogs were killed by what investigators believe to be a lightning strike. Alexander Karl Getz, 38, and Peter James Stansky, 31, ventured out on a hunting expedition only to be found lifeless days later, alongside their canine companions.
It was in the afternoon of Wednesday when the Highlands County Sheriff's Office responded to an area southeast of the county, an alert initiated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission conveyed concern for the two men who had not returned from their trip. The discovery, somber and abrupt, saw their vehicle unattended, and, their bodies placed ghastly on the levee beside Canal C-41A, according to a report from CBS12.
Today, the identification of the deceased was released by the sheriff's office, offering names to the faces of this sudden misfortune. As described by WSVN, Getz and Stansky set out on what was expected to be a routine hunting trip but instead encountered a fate as sudden and unpredictable as the weather.
The sheriff's office underscored the recurring peril of lightning in the area, reminding the public of the dangers lurking within, even the most benign-looking skies. "Our area gets more lightning than just about anywhere else in the country, especially in the summer. If you can hear thunder, that means lightning is close enough to strike, even if the sky doesn’t look too bad yet," Sheriff Paul Blackman said in a cautionary note chronicled by CBS12. The District 10 Medical Examiner is tasked with clarifying the official cause, and, time of death for both men and their dogs.
