The family of a young golfer who was fatally struck by lightning last year filed a wrongful death lawsuit, blaming the golf course for the tragedy.
Raymond Baxter Jr., 29, was struck by lightning on September 12, 2023, at Bentwater Golf Club in Acworth, Atlanta, shortly after teeing off with friends.
The group noticed a rapidly approaching storm shortly into their lap, and although they began sprinting back to the clubhouse, Baxter was struck before they could reach safety.
Baxter, who was engaged at the time, was hospitalized and died from his injuries three days later. Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The golfer’s family argued in their lawsuit filed this week in Paulding County State Court that “any reasonable warning could have ruined Raymond Jr.’s life.” would have saved.’
It is claimed that the golf club could have prevented the incident with a number of preventative measures, “such as weather protocols, lighting prediction or detection systems, warning sirens, or even simply preventing golfers from going off the first tee.”
“(These measures) are common and expected on golf courses, yet Defendants failed to take even the most basic reasonable steps,” the lawsuit said.
Bentwater Golf Club did not immediately respond to a request for comment when contacted by DailyMail.com.
Raymond Baxter Jr., 29, was struck by lightning on September 12, 2023 at Bentwater Golf Club in Acworth, Atlanta, shortly after teeing off with friends
Baxter, pictured with his grieving widow Katelyn Molina, he was described as a ‘beautiful spirit, funny, strong-minded, selfless, caring and above all, loved’
The lawsuit was filed by Baxter’s parents Raymond Baxter Sr. and Lisa Baxter, who live in Arkansas, against four companies associated with the club.
The parents claim that after their son was struck by lightning, golf club staff waited five minutes before calling 911.
They added that Baxter’s heart stopped as a result of the lightning strike, but staff did not know if the club had an automated external defibrillator.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the lawsuit alleges that the club “acknowledged their role in the tragedy” and “offered Raymond’s parents a token sum of several hundred dollars from a collection taken from other members of the Bentwater Golf Club.” ‘
The parents’ attorneys, Michael Lonati Jr. and Jason McManis, added to the Atlanta Journal that the golf club’s alleged lack of safety equipment is especially egregious because it is located in an area with high lightning activity.
“We believe all golf courses should have these types of systems in place to protect their players from weather conditions like this,” McManis said.
“If golf courses realize that they could be responsible for a tragic accident like this, when they could have taken steps to prevent it, it will encourage more courses to implement these systems. And in the end, that’s exactly what we’re hoping for.”
Baxter and his group reportedly ran back to the clubhouse when they saw a fast approaching storm, but the young golfer was tragically struck
The lawsuit against Bentwater Golf Club in Atlanta claims staff waited five minutes to call 911 and didn’t know if they had a heart defibrillator
Lonati said it is common for golf courses to implement some form of lightning protection measures, but it is not a legal requirement.
“Unfortunately, this person paid his life and the ultimate price for what happened,” Lonati added.
In one GoFundMe set up for Baxter’s grieving fiancée, Katelyn Molina, he was described as a “beautiful spirit, funny, strong-minded, selfless, caring and most of all, loved.”
“They had an amazing love for each other and for the past nine years he was her ‘Person,’ her one and only love,” the fundraiser said.
Baxter’s family added that he “loved life” and “passed away giving the gift of life to so many others through organ donation.”