Steve Matheson, a 41-year-old father of four from Utah, died after being struck by lightning while jet skiing off Fort De Soto Park near Tampa Bay, Florida, on Saturday. His family said he had been returning to shore with a friend when they stopped to help a struggling boater, and he was struck shortly afterwards; he was taken to hospital but could not be saved. He was in Florida for a work conference and had stayed an extra day, and relatives described the act of stopping to help as typical of his character.

Matheson leaves his wife, Abbie, and four children aged nine, seven, four and three. A GoFundMe set up to cover funeral costs and repatriating his body to Utah had raised almost $85,000 by Tuesday night, and friends and family, including his stepfather and brother, have paid tribute to him online, describing him as generous, dependable and devoted to his family and faith.