Haunting 911 call details the moments after 19-year-old dad was struck by lightning
Ethan Lawrence was out for a run when he was killed
A 911 call that was made detailing the moment a 19-year-old was struck by lightning and killed has been released.
The Davie Police Department released the audio, which heard a witness telling the dispatcher that they believed they had seen a person being struck by a bolt at the top of a hill.
That person on the hill was Ethan Lawrence, who was on a run that morning.
According to the audio obtained by PEOPLE, the woman told the operator: "I believe someone just got struck by lightning up on the hill. I saw lightning strike and somebody just fell down.
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"I was leaving and a big thing of lightning came and I have not seen the person get up.”
She added that she wasn’t sure if he was hit by the bolt due to what she could see.
She continued: "I was driving at the bottom of the hill to exit the park and a huge thing of lightning came. I saw a guy walking up on the hill and then all the sudden he was like down.
"It looked like the lightning was like right on him."
Lawrence was indeed struck on the hill by the lightning on Sunday, June 30 at approximately 10:24 am local time at Vista View Park, according to the police.
Lawrence, who had recently become a father six months prior after welcoming his first child, Emara, with his girlfriend, Andrea was found to be deceased by the time emergency responders arrived on the scene.
The police preciously confirmed to the outlet that ‘they discovered an adult male deceased in the park.’
At the time, Lawrence's mother, Lourdes, said to WSVN that she had sent her husband to look for him after the location on his phone hadn’t changed location in hours.
Lawrence's dad, Patrick told the news station: “Then the detectives came over to my car and told me ‘I don’t know if there is any easy way to say this at all, so I’m just going to tell you that unfortunately, your son was running, he was struck by lightning and he didn’t make it.’”
The police confirmed that the Broward County Medical Examiner's Office is assisting with the investigation.
Andrea, Ethan's girlfriend, also spoke to WSVN and admitted that she’s ‘still in shock.’
She said: “I am still trying to process it because of how it happened. In a matter of seconds, he texted me in the morning, ‘Good morning love, I woke up late today.'"
Ethan’s Mother shared on Facebook a heartbreaking message about her son on Monday, July 8, to pay tribute to her ‘best-friend’.
It read: “Ethan was not just my son; he was my best-friend, my confidant, my shining star, my pride, and my source of endless joy. From a young age, Ethan showed an incredible depth of empathy and understanding for all. Ethan’s kindness extended far beyond our family."
The heartbroken mother previously told WSVN: “He was always there for his friends, offering a listening ear and a comforting word. His teachers often spoke of his willingness to help others and his ability to bring a smile to anyone’s face.
“He was my pride and joy and I can not believe that I’m gonna continue this life without him.”
The family have created a GoFundMe page to ‘keep Ethan's memory alive by supporting this scholarship fund’ with a goal of $50,000.
UNILAD has reached out to the Davie Police Department for comment.
Britt Jones