Florida Keys Lightning Strike Disables Charter Boat and Sends Captain to Hospital

A fishing trip in the Florida Keys turned serious fast when lightning hit a charter boat near Islamorada and left the vessel disabled. It is the kind of reminder every boat owner and fisherman ought to take seriously, especially in places where storms build quick.

Capt. Richard “Rick” Stanczyk, 44, was running through backcountry waters near Mile Marker 81 around 6 a.m. Thursday with clients aboard when the group ran into a rain shower and the boat was struck. One of the clients called for help after the strike. Another vessel later towed the boat back to Bud N’ Mary’s Marina, and emergency crews treated Stanczyk before he was flown by Monroe County’s Trauma Star helicopter to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital.

His condition had not been publicly released at the time details were made available. Stanczyk is part of one of the best-known fishing families in the Keys and has worked as a professional backcountry guide since 2007.

Florida is not casual lightning country. The Florida Division of Emergency Management says the state typically sees 70 to 100 days a year with at least one thunderstorm, and storms on the water can go from background noise to life-threatening in a hurry.

There is no fish worth gambling your life over. Watch the sky, watch the radar, have a plan, and do not let pride keep you out when common sense says it is time to run in. The best captains still respect weather because weather does not care how many years you have been on the water.