HE HAD JUST MOVED TO FLORIDA FOR HIS DREAM DISNEY INTERNSHIP — DAYS LATER, A LIGHTNING STRIKE CHANGED EVERYTHING
HE HAD JUST MOVED TO FLORIDA FOR HIS DREAM DISNEY INTERNSHIP — DAYS LATER, A LIGHTNING STRIKE CHANGED EVERYTHING
Matthew Jenkins was only 20 and had just begun a new chapter of his life when he was struck by lightning while running in Celebration, Florida. His family and friends are now mourning a young man they say touched countless lives.
Matthew Eric Jenkins was only 20 years old when he moved from Michigan to Florida to begin what was supposed to be an exciting new chapter.
He had recently joined the Disney College Program, a dream opportunity that brought him to Central Florida.
But just days after arriving, his life was suddenly cut short.
On Tuesday, September 8, Matthew was running along a walking path in Celebration, Florida, when a powerful storm moved through the area.
Witnesses reported seeing lightning strike nearby.
Moments later, Matthew was found unresponsive.
A SUDDEN STORM — AND A DESPERATE RUSH TO HELP
The incident happened at around 6:25 p.m. near a hotel on Bloom Street.
According to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, witnesses saw the lightning strike in the area before discovering Matthew on the walking path.
People nearby immediately rushed toward him.
One of those witnesses was Felipe Costa, who had been walking in the area with his brother as the storm approached.
Costa said he heard an enormous crack of lightning.
Then he realized someone had collapsed.
He ran toward the scene.
A woman who was already nearby began checking Matthew and performing CPR while they waited for emergency responders.
Other witnesses also rushed to help.
Matthew was eventually taken to AdventHealth Celebration, where he was pronounced dead.
The medical examiner later confirmed that his death was caused by electrocution from the lightning strike.
HE HAD ONLY BEEN IN FLORIDA FOR ABOUT A WEEK
For Matthew’s family, the timing made the tragedy even harder to comprehend.
His mother, Beth Jenkins, said her son had arrived in Central Florida only the previous week to begin his Disney College Program journey.
He had been looking forward to the opportunity.
Matthew was also an avid runner. His family said he had competed in cross country during high school, played soccer from a young age and was training for the Chicago Marathon.
Running in Celebration had been part of his routine.
What should have been an ordinary run instead became the final moments of his life.
“HE CARED SO DEEPLY FOR EVERYONE”
Those who knew Matthew say he was far more than a promising young intern.
He was a son, brother, boyfriend and friend.
His best friend, Blake Jahn, had known Matthew for seven years after the two met through their high school cross-country team.
Jahn remembered him as someone who genuinely cared about the people around him.
“He cared so deeply for everyone around him,” Jahn said, describing Matthew as a “good kid.”
Matthew had spent part of the summer traveling with friends and visiting national parks before moving south for his new opportunity.
His family said he was excited about what was ahead.
“He was coming into his own,” Jahn recalled.
A DREAM THAT LASTED ONLY DAYS
Matthew’s move to Florida was closely connected to his family’s own memories.
His family had made annual trips to Walt Disney World, and the Disney College Program represented an opportunity he had been excited to pursue.
Instead, the family is now returning to memories of a son who had only just begun building a life of his own.
Disney also expressed its grief.
A spokesperson said the company was deeply saddened by Matthew’s passing and noted that he had only just begun his Disney College Program journey.
The company said he would always be remembered as part of the Disney community.
A STRANGER’S FLOWERS — AND A FAMILY’S GRATITUDE
After learning that Matthew had died, witness Felipe Costa returned to the place where the young man had collapsed.
He left flowers there in his memory.
Costa said the experience had changed the way he viewed severe weather.
The family, meanwhile, expressed gratitude to the strangers who stopped to help Matthew during those critical moments.
They know those people did everything they could.
But there was nothing anyone could do to change the outcome.
“MATTHEW WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN”
Matthew’s death has left his f
