A GoFundMe set up in his honour has raised over £40k in less than 24 hours
A One Tree Hill star’s husband has tragically died after being struck by lightning while on a boat in a thunderstorm.
Actor Bevin Prince lost her husband William Friend, who died after being struck by lightning just a week before his 34th birthday. He was on a boat near Masonboro Island in North Carolina when the rare incident happened.
The odds of becoming a lightning victim in the US in any one year are 1 in 700,000, according to National Geographic.
Paramedics tried to resuscitate Friend, a British businessman, for 20 minutes but he was pronounced dead in the ambulance, local news station WECT-TV reports.
Prince, 39, starred as Bevin Mirskey in One Tree Hill, playing a major role in the the first four seasons of the US teen drama. She and Friend celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary in May. She is yet to make a public statement about her husband’s death.
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The couple ran a cycling studio together and an Instagram image was posted from the studio’s account thanking Friend for his “knowledge, guidance, and support” and praising his pursuit of the “American Dream”.
Friend’s employers, digital marketing company Bisnow, also posted a tribute to him on Instagram, stating that he took the company “to new heights”.
Prince’s friend, You Again actress Odette Annable, shared an emotional tribute on Instagram with photos of the couple and their dog Winston.
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In her post, she said: “Will, it feels surreal writing this. Mostly because it feels like you were just getting started. The life and love that you gave to my best friend made it feel okay that we were thousands of miles apart.
“As I sit in your beautiful home, looking out onto the ocean, I keep thinking about what a gift you gave to Bevin. What a gift you gave to everyone who knew you to witness the passion that burned in your soul. The passion to help people, to build your business, to find happiness like I’d never seen from you living in North Carolina with Bevin. You were perfect for her in every way.
“You supported her dreams, you made her feel seen, you adored her with every bit of your soul and I will forever be grateful to witness that kind of love. Being here with Bevin, hearing her share stories about you and your love breaks my heart for her, because she lost the love of her life and the world lost a really really good one.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to support the couple’s business, Recess, and Special Operators Transition Foundation (SOFT), an organisation that helps veterans into new careers. Over $40,000 was raised in less than 24 hours.
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