KEWASKUM, Wis. (WFRV) – A 48-year-old man who worked for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was found dead in the evening of September 22 after he was struck by lightning.
According to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the DNR and Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance in a search for a Forestry employee who was working in the New Fane Trail area but had not yet returned home.
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Officials say that the missing forester’s vehicle was found in Fond du Lac County and that the search had moved towards the county lines of Washington and Fond du Lac.
The victim was reportedly found dead in a wooded area around 7:40 p.m. in Kewaskum. An investigation into the death revealed that the man, identified as 48-year-old Adam Zirbel of Plymouth, was struck by lightning.
Officials verified a documented lightning strike occurred in the area around 10:15 a.m. that day. Washington County Sheriff Martin Schulteis released the following statement on the incident:
“Adam dedicated his life to the service of others as a father, husband, community leader and DNR forester. We are better off because of Adam’s contributions to society and he will be missed by many. He died performing a civil service to the people of Wisconsin, and for that, we are all forever grateful for his service.”
According to the National Weather Service, lightning kills roughly 20 people in the United States per year.
