Family devastated after lightning strike kills one, injures two on Bear River
Aug 19, 2024, 6:04 PM | Updated: Aug 24, 2024, 11:26 am
OGDEN — A Weber County family is grieving after a tragic lightning strike on Sunday killed a father and fiancée.
Maddie Palmer said her fiancee, 24-year-old Skyler Granath, spent a lot of time enjoying the outdoors with friends and family.
“Every weekend we go, like, go out tubing or on the boat, and I just always had a really fun time,” Palmer said.
She said if her fiancee wasn’t with her and their two-year-old daughter, he would often be with his little brother Bridger Granath and close friend Jacob Coe.
“(He) was just the funniest person ever. And he really would go out of his way to help anyone, any friend needed anything. He would just. Be right there to help them,” Palmer said.
Skyler Granath (left) with his brother Bridger Granath (right). (Courtesy Arnold Mutti)
On Saturday, Skyler Granath was fishing on a boat with Bridger Granath and Coe on the Bear River. What should have been just another fishing trip took a sudden turn very early Sunday, just after midnight.
According to the Box Elder Sheriff’s Office, the three men saw a thunderstorm and started to return to shore until the lightning struck their boat.
“Flipped all three of them out of the boat into the air,” said Arnold Mutti, Granath brothers’ grandfather. “My one grandson that’s alive said that he flipped three times up in the air before he hit the water.”
Mutti said Bridger Granath tried to bring him to shore before they were struck again, separating the brothers. Search crews found Skyler Granath’s body several hours later.
According to Mutti, Skyler Granath and Palmer were preparing for their next chapter in life together.
“They were getting married right after the baby was born. And everything was in line, and now it’s not quite that way,” he said.
Skyler Granath and Maddie Palmer. (Courtesy Maddie Palmer)
Skyler Granath would have become a father to another daughter in just 30 days. Now, the family is planning a funeral while banding together for Bridger Granath and Coe in their recovery.
“He was a really good dad. He just loved his daughter so much,” Palmer said.
An account is now set up in Skyler Granath’s name at America First Credit Union* to help cover funeral expenses.
Skyler Granath with his two-year-old daughter. (Courtesy Maddie Palmer)
*KSL TV does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
