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Credit: Bill Dodd, FlickrA 20-year-old Disney College Program cast member has died just one week after moving to Florida to work at Walt Disney World Resort. The man was found unresponsive near downtown Celebration on Tuesday.
Disney College Program Cast Member Dies After Lightning Strike
On September 8, several people were taking shelter from a storm near the walking path behind a hotel on Bloom Street in Celebration when lightning struck nearby. Moments later, witnesses noticed a man had collapsed and ran to his aid.
That man was later identified as 20-year-old Matthew Eric Jenkins of Shelby Township, Michigan. His father told WESH 2 that Jenkins had moved to Central Florida one week earlier to participate in the Disney College Program, an internship at Walt Disney World Resort.
Felipe Costa, one of the people who ran to help Jenkins, spoke to WESH 2 about the incident.
“As soon as I heard that, I started running and I came over here [where it happened]. That’s when I saw the man,” he said. “There was a lady behind me. She came and started CPR also as soon as possible. We were just waiting until the first responders got there.”
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Jenkins was transported to Celebration Hospital, where he was unfortunately pronounced dead.
After learning about Jenkins’ death, Costa left a flower near the site of the incident.
“I had a feeling that it wasn’t good,” he recalled. “I had a feeling.”
“I have so much more respect for what storms are capable of, what nature’s capable of, and we gotta learn how to respect that and know how to deal with it,” Costa continued. “Taking cover during storms right now is absolutely a priority for me.”
Jenkins’ father expressed gratitude to those who rushed to help Matthew on behalf of the entire family.
The medical examiner has yet to rule on the exact cause of death for 20-year-old Matthew Eric Jenkins.
The Inside the Magic team is keeping Matthew’s loved ones in its thoughts after this heartbreaking loss.
