A Utah father of four has died after being struck by lightning while trying to help stranded boaters off the coast of Florida.
Steve Matheson, 47, was jet skiing with a friend near Fort De Soto shortly before 6:35 p.m. on Saturday, August 29, when they came across a boat that had broken down, according to reports.
Although a storm was approaching and Matheson was already making his way toward the shoreline, he decided to stop and assist the stranded boaters after realizing they were in trouble.
His decision to help others ultimately placed him directly in the path of the approaching storm.
READ ALSO: Doja Cat Reveals 5 Shocking Details About Her Past Cocaine Addiction
Steve Matheson struck by lightning while helping boaters
Matheson and his friend were reportedly heading back toward shore as the weather deteriorated.
However, when they noticed the boaters in difficulty, Matheson stopped to help.
According to his cousin, Marianne Matheson Shuman, the storm continued moving closer until it was virtually directly over him.
“The lightning took him pretty quickly,” Shuman told KTVX.
She described Matheson as someone who remained committed to helping others even during his final moments.
“Even in his last moments he was helping and serving strangers,” she said. “He would have it no other way.”
Matheson suffered serious injuries in the lightning strike and was rushed to a local hospital, where he later died.
A devoted husband and father
Matheson leaves behind his wife, Abbie, and their four children.
Family members and friends have described him as a devoted husband, loving father and dependable friend whose greatest priority was his family.
His friend April Beck said Matheson’s family was his greatest joy and that he treasured the time he spent with them.
“He was the kind of husband and father who loved deeply, showed up fully, and made his family the center of his world,” Beck said.
She also remembered Matheson’s strong Christian faith, saying it was an important part of his identity and influenced the way he treated other people.
Matheson was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was also known for his passionate support of Brigham Young University football.
Friends remember his selfless nature
Those who knew Matheson said his decision to stop and help the stranded boaters was consistent with the way he lived his life.
Friend Mitch Faas recalled that Matheson was always willing to assist whenever someone needed help.
Faas remembered Matheson being among the first people to respond when he needed assistance moving fireworks ahead of the Pioneer Day holiday.
Matheson arrived with his oldest son and immediately got involved, just as he had done for Faas’s events over the years.
The last text message Faas sent to his friend before his death reflected the trust between them.
“Thanks for always being someone I can count on bud,” Faas wrote.
Matheson replied, “Always brotha. We appreciate you and are always willing to help.”
For Faas, those words now carry an especially painful meaning.
A heartwarming memory of his compassion
Another friend, Aaron Boone, said Matheson was not only passionate about football and competition but also deeply committed to family, faith and children.
The two friends had planned to play flag football together before Steve Matheson’s death.
Boone recalled a particularly touching example of Matheson’s character involving their fathers.
Matheson’s own father regularly attended his flag football games. After Matheson’s father died several years ago, Matheson began looking after Boone’s father at the games.
According to Boone, Steve Matheson would make sure the older man was comfortable, sit with him and spend time talking with him before, during and after the games.
Boone said the gesture revealed the kind of person Steve Matheson was.
“He always made a point to sit with him, make sure he was comfortable, talk with him, and visit before, during, and after the games,” Boone recalled.
Remembering Steve Matheson
The circumstances surrounding Matheson’s death have made the tragedy particularly heartbreaking for his loved ones.
He had been attempting to return to shore as a storm approached but chose to help people whose boat had become stranded.
Steve Matheson family now remembers him not only for the tragedy that claimed his life but for the values he demonstrated throughout it.
Matheson’s willingness to help strangers, devotion to his wife and children, strong faith and commitment to his friends have all emerged in tributes following his death.
For those who knew him, the lightning strike does not define his life.
Instead, friends and relatives are remembering a man who repeatedly showed up for other people and made service, family and faith central to his identity.
His death has left his wife, four children, relatives and a wide circle of friends grieving.
Yet the stories being shared about Steve Matheson show why so many people considered him someone they could depend on.
Steve Matheson was a husband, father, friend and community member whose final act was consistent with the generosity and compassion that defined the way many people remember him.
