William Friend, the husband of “One Tree Hill” actress Bevin Prince, was struck by lightning in North Carolina on Sunday.
Friend was 33 when he became the CEO of digital media company Bisnow.
NBC affiliate WCET of Wilmington reported that Friend was on Masonboro Island when he was struck at 3:15 p.m.
According to the news station, the incident was attended to by marine units from both the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office (NHSO) and Wilmington Police Department (WPD). Friend was transported to an ambulance by deputies who performed CPR.
Officials stated that first responders tried to revive him for about 20 minutes, but he was declared dead by officials.
According to the National Lightning Safety Council (which stated that Friend died while participating in “beach activities”, his death is the third lightning fatality in America this year.
According to her IMDb profile, Prince was seen in episodes of “One Tree Hill” between 2003 and 2012.
In 2016, she and Friend were married and started a local business in Wrightsville Beach.
NBC News reached out to Prince’s representatives in order for them to comment.
Odette Annable is Prince’s close friend and shared her heartfelt tribute to him on Instagram Wednesday.
It feels surreal to write this, Will. It feels like you are just starting. Annable, who was a star in the 2010 film “You Again,” said that she felt okay about being thousands of miles away because of the love and life you gave my best friend.
“What a gift that you gave everyone who was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to see the passion in your heart. She continued, “The passion to help people, build your business, and find happiness like I’ve never seen from you while living in North Carolina with Bevin.”
Annable stated that Prince was perfect in every way because Friend was his “perfect” friend.
She wrote, “You supported her dreams. You made her feel heard. You loved her with all your heart.” Bevin and I were able to share stories about her love and loss with her.
They celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary on May 20, 2021.
Prince posted photos of their nuptials to Instagram at the time. She captioned the post with: “5 years baby. Winston and I are so fortunate to have known you, to love and to share our learnings. We have made so much and I am proud of the life we have created. You make life delicious, my love. You are my love.”
