HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The family pastor of Levi Stock, 11, said the boy was in fair condition Friday afternoon and recovering at Tampa General Hospital after being struck by lightning Thursday.


What You Need To Know

  • Family pastor says Levi Stock, 11, was in fair condition Friday after being struck by lightning

  • Levi was struck Thursday while on a boat with his family

  • Pastor says Levi’s dad performed CPR until help arrived

  • According to CDC, Florida is considered the “lightning capital” of the U.S.


“He’s responding to questions and comments, and he’s beginning to get his memory back, but he is definitely recovering from the pain of what his body endured just about 24 hours ago,” said Daniel Butson, lead pastor at Fishhawk Fellowship Church in Lithia.

Butson said Levi and his family were enjoying a day in the bay that included fishing and swimming near Beer Can Island. He said they started heading to shore when they saw a storm rolling in. 

“They were about 100 feet away from the dock at Williams Park when lightning struck,” Butson said.

According to Butson, Levi was struck in the lower back and through his left foot. The force knocked him off the boat and into the water. Butson said Levi’s father, Derek Stock, jumped into the water to save his son, and two good Samaritans got them into their boat. 

“He began performing CPR to bring his son back — he worked on his son (for) what Derek says felt like an eternity,” Butson said.

Butson said first responders arrived and were able to find a light pulse. 

“We count today as a miracle after what happened yesterday,” Butson said. 

According to the CDC, the chance of getting struck by lightning in a year is less than one in a million, but Florida is considered the “lightning capital” of the U.S.

More than 2,000 lightning injuries were reported in the state in the past 50 years. Spectrum Bay News 9 Chief Meteorologist Mike Clay said the rule of thumb is if you hear thunder, get indoors.

“Thunder can travel about 12 miles from the parent lightning strike, and lightning can travel about 5-to-10 miles from the parent thunderstorm," he said. "So, if you can hear thunder, that’s a good sign that you’re within that range."

The CDC says nearly 90% of lightning strike victims survive.