Newlywed dies in freak honeymoon accident after stepping into ocean

Jake Rosencranz and his wife Leah had already built a beautiful life together — and after years of love and laughter, they were finally treating themselves to a long-awaited honeymoon in Florida.

But what was meant to be a joyful chapter in their story quickly turned into a nightmare no one could’ve imagined.

Rushed to his aid

On June 21, Jake tragically became Florida’s first lightning-related fatality of 2025 after a freak accident at New Smyrna Beach — a surf town just south of Daytona.

It happened on what seemed like a clear, calm June day. Jake, 29, was enjoying the warm water, standing in ankle-deep surf near 27th Avenue Beach. What no one realized was that a storm brewing miles inland had started creeping toward the coast.

Around 12:30 p.m., as weather systems shifted, FOX 35 Storm Tracker Radar recorded 170 lightning strikes in the area — and one of them struck Jake.

According to the CDC, the odds of being struck by lightning in the U.S. are less than one in a million. But for Jake, those odds turned deadly.

Lifeguards rushed to his aid, immediately beginning CPR and life-saving efforts on the beach. Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue Director Tammy Malphurs said lifeguards had not yet cleared the beach, since the storm was still several miles west when the lightning hit.

“On Friday June 20, a 29-year-old man from Colorado was struck by lightning shortly before 12:30 PM while standing in ankle-deep water in New Smyrna Beach,” Malphurs said. “CPR was immediately initiated, and we performed life-saving measures. He was transported from the scene unresponsive, and he sadly lost his life from the injuries he sustained.”

Jake was rushed to AdventHealth in New Smyrna Beach, where doctors worked to save him — but despite their efforts, he died the following day, on June 21. Jake spent his final moments at the hospital, surrounded by his loved ones.

Tributes began pouring in for Jake, a man his friends described as a “true Coloradan,” though he was originally from Weston, Massachusetts.

He went to Holderness School in Plymouth, New Hampshire, where he met Leah in a sophomore chemistry class. From that moment on, they were inseparable.

Together with their dog Bonnie, they embraced an adventurous life in the Rocky Mountains. Their home base was Frisco, Colorado, where weekends were filled with hiking, skiing, golfing, biking, boating, and soaking up the sun. In July 2023, they tied the knot at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area — a meaningful spot where they had shared countless skiing trips and fun times with friends at the “beach.”

The couple had delayed their honeymoon until now.

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood expressed heartbreak over the tragedy in a public Facebook post.

“So sorry for the tragic loss of a young man here on a delayed honeymoon with his wife,” Chitwood wrote. “At 29 years old, he should have had many more anniversaries with her for years to come. Sending sincere condolences to this young woman on behalf of all of us in Volusia County who were hoping against hope that the diligent efforts of our lifeguards, EMS team and ER staff would bring him back to her.”

Jake’s brother-in-law, David Curtis, started a GoFundMe campaign to help Leah cope with the sudden loss and cover mounting medical expenses. The fundraiser’s goal is $75,000.

”He was an incredible husband to my sister Leah and family member to all,” Curtis wrote in a LinkedIn tribute, according to Daytona Beach News-Journal. ”His memory will continue to be a blessing to all who were fortunate enough to know him.”

The GoFundMe page reads: “This devastating loss impacts so many loved ones, but especially Leah who will be navigating life without her husband and best friend. During this difficult time, we are looking to financially support Leah as she deals with medical bills and other implications in the wake of the loss of Jake.”

In an unrelated incident the same day, two other people were reportedly struck indirectly by lightning while golfing at the Venetian Bay Golf Course, according to local fire officials. Their conditions remain unknown.

Jake’s sudden passing has left a gaping hole in the hearts of those who knew him — a honeymoon story that began in joy but ended in unimaginable sorrow.