Child Missing After Boat Capsizes On Orlando Lake

ORLANDO, FL — A child is missing after a rowing club’s boat capsized on an Orlando lake when lightning struck the area where they were practicing, authorities said.

The incident occurred just before 6 p.m. Thursday on Lake Fairview, according to WESH, which published a press conference about the situation in full.

There were five middle school students on the vessel when it capsized, said Ian Davis, executive deputy chief of the Orlando Fire Department, at the press conference. Three were returned to their parents, one was taken to AdventHealth and one was missing, Davis said. He declined to identify the club by name.

Authorities from multiple agencies were using sonar and concentrating on the area where the boat capsized as they carried out the search, according to Davis.

“Holding vigil in the rowing community tonight,” the Orlando Rowing Club said Thursday in a Facebook post. The club is based on Lake Fairview.

There were no significant developments as of Friday afternoon, the fire department reported.

"The Orlando Fire Department and our agency partners have continued to diligently search the lake," Public Information Officer Jenny DeSantis said in an email. "As of approximately 3:05 p.m., search operations are temporarily suspended due to inclement weather, but will resume as soon as possible."