RSW lightning victim’s father wonders why son was outside during storm

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FORT MYERS, Fla. Kyle Dunn wants to know why his son was on the tarmac at Southwest Florida International AirportĀ as storms rolled through the area.

“He should’ve never been out there as far as I’m concerned,” he said.

Austin Dunn, 21, suffered third-degree burns, muscle damage and bleeding in the brain when lightning struck a plane near him on Saturday. Austin Dunn remained hospitalized at Tampa General Hospital on Monday.

While the airport activated its inclement weather alarm system, it’s up to individual carriers to decide whether to follow system precautions, RSW officials said.

Officials for NavStar Aviation, Austin’s Dunn employer, and Sun Country Airlines, which NavStar handles ground operations for, declined comment until the completion of an internal investigation.

“Right now my biggest concern is for my employee and my employee’s safety,” said NavStar spokesperson John Brown.

Here’s what to do if you see someone struck by lightning:

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