A 19-year-old new father died June 30 after he was reportedly struck by lightning while running in a Florida park. Ethan Lawrence and his girlfriend, Andrea Lares, had just welcomed their first child, Emara, back in December, and the young family was looking forward to a long life together.
Lawrence's mother, Lourdes Lawrence, reportedly noticed her son's location hadn't changed for hours after he left home that morning and sent her husband to look for him.
In a newly released 911 call obtained by NBC 6, a woman told a 911 operator she saw a lightning strike followed by a person falling. The Davie Police Department dispatched officers to the area and discovered Ethan Lawrence deceased on the ground. Now, his family is mourning the young father and trying to imagine a life without him.
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Ethan Lawrence had taken off on a run before his death.
He was reportedly running at Vista View Park in Davies, Florida, when lightning struck. The 911 caller told the dispatcher she was unsure what happened but wanted someone to investigate.
"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," she said in the call. "It looked like the lightning was like right on him."
Lourdes Lawrence sent her husband to find their son.
Patrick Lawrence went to look for Ethan after his mother noticed her son's location hadn't changed in several hours. When he arrived at the park, police gave him the devastating news, according to WSVN.
"And 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,'" Patrick Lawrence recalled.
Ethan Lawrence was an avid runner.
Lourdes Lawrence told WSVN she was devasted to learn of her son's death but found solace in the fact that he was doing what he loved when he died.
"We don't understand why, but the only thing that gives me comfort is he died doing what he loved," she said. "Cross country runner, track runner, volleyball player, got recruited to Jacksonville University, and he was doing amazing."
His is family is heartbroken.
Lares told WSVN she hasn't fully come to grips with the fact that her boyfriend is gone.
"I'm still in shock. I am still trying to process it because how it happened," she said. "In a matter of seconds, he texted me in the morning, 'Good morning love, I woke up late today.'"
Lourdes Lawrence wrote a loving tribute to her son on Facebook.
"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," it reads in part. "Ethan's kindness extended far beyond our family. 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."
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Loved ones created a GoFundMe account for Ethan's family.
Patrick Lawrence created the GoFundMe page to establish a scholarship in his son's name to support his brother, Liam, and other runners.
He wrote, "We are reaching out to you, our community, friends, and family, to help us fulfill Ethan's dream. Your generous contributions will go towards a scholarship fund for Liam and yearly scholarships for runners entering college."
The fundraiser has brought in nearly $11,000 of a $30,000 goal thus far.
