One of the more widely-known backcountry fishing guides in Islamorada was airlifted to a mainland hospital after his boat was struck by lightning Thursday morning.
Adam Linhardt, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office public information officer, said the incident occurred in the backcountry waters off mile marker 81 in Islamorada around 6:30 a.m. The boat ended up being towed back to Bud N’ Mary’s Marina, where Islamorada Fire Rescue Chief Terry Abel said crews rendered aid on an adult male who was on the boat.
Several reports identified the injured male as Richard “Rick” Stanczyk, the son of Richard Stanczyk Sr.
He was airlifted by Monroe County Trauma Star to a hospital in Kendall.
The Stanczyk family has owned and operated Bud N’ Mary’s Fishing Marina since 1978. Rick has been a professional backcountry guide since 2007. His father, Richard Stanczyk Sr., grew up in Miami and started offshore fishing there back in the early 1960s. He moved down to the Keys in the late 70s, bought the marina and began fishing much of the backcountry waters.
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation officers assisted the sheriff’s office and Islamorada Fire Rescue at the scene.
