Ravenna family devastated by death

RAVENNA, Ohio - Joe Strong loved his family, he loved life, and he loved fishing.

Joe and Melissa Strong, along with a friend, were fishing on the Bassett Channel in Ontario Friday afternoon.  They were laughing, joking and catching fish. 

But, the sunny, hot summer day changed in an instant.

"All of a sudden the sky was black and there was a lightning strike," Melissa Strong said.

The couple headed for land, but the storm was too bad. Joe Strong steered the boat into a nearby patch of reeds for protection, Melissa Strong recalled.

Her 41-year-old husband was worried about his uncle who was in a nearby boat. Joe Strong got on the back of his boat to see if his uncle was OK, and he was. 

At that precise moment, Joe Strong was hit by lightning, Melissa said. 

She attempted to perform CPR on her husband while rescuers tried to reach the boat that was still miles from shore.

Joe and Melissa Strong had been married just three months. 

Melissa, a newly wed only three days ago, is now a heartbroken widow, who lost her husband and best friend. 

"I wake up every morning thinking it was a dream," she said," but it's not a dream."