William Friend, husband of One Tree Hill star Bevin Prince, dies at 33 after being struck by lightning

William Friend, the husband of One Tree Hill actress Bevin Prince, died over July 4 weekend after he was struck by lightning in North Carolina. He was 33.

The National Lightning Safety Council revealed Friend's death among the nonprofit's statistics of lightning-related fatalities in 2022. He was struck and killed near a beach on Masonboro Island on Sunday, making this the 21st lightning fatality in the state since 2006, according to the safety council.

A WECT-TV report, cited by the organization, stated that deputies performed CPR on Friend en route to Bradley Creek Marina to meet up with Emergency Medical Services. EMS then reportedly moved Friend to an ambulance and attempted to resuscitate him for 20 minutes. He was later pronounced dead.

Representatives for Prince and the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to EW's request for further information.

Prince has not commented publicly yet, but Recess by Bevin Prince, the local fitness company she and Friend started in North Carolina, released a statement on the incident. Prince's family has also set up a Go Fund Me memorial fund for donations to Recess and the Special Operators Transition Foundation, the latter of which supports Special Operations heroes and their families.

"We greatly appreciate the outpouring of love and support we've received from our Recess community," reads a statement from Recess on the company's Instagram page. "Will's knowledge, guidance, and support is the foundation that Recess is built on."

Born and raised in the U.K. until he was 15, Friend was named the CEO of the company Bisnow in 2015 when he was 27. According to Bisnow, he was hired directly out of Southern Methodist University in Dallas as an intern before he moved up to work in recruiting, events, and sales, eventually becoming COO and then CEO.

Friend married Prince in 2016, and they celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary last year. The couple had moved from New York to Wrightsville Beach, N.C. when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020 to be closer to Prince's family, per Bisnow.

"He had such a vivid personality and was so full of life and can-do energy, it's truly impossible to believe he's not here anymore," Bisnow Media founder Mark Bisnow said in a statement. "I expect him to come bursting into the room any minute with some new idea or plan, and then laughing and very effectively arguing as we dissect it."

Cloverfield and You Again actress Odette Annable, a friend of Prince's, paid tribute to him on social media.

"The unimaginable has happened and we have to say goodbye to another friend," she wrote on Instagram.

"The life and love that you gave to my best friend made it feel okay that we were thousands of miles apart," Annable continued. "As I sit in your beautiful home, looking out onto the ocean, I keep thinking about what a gift you gave to Bevin. What a gift you gave to everyone who knew you to witness the passion that burned in your soul. The passion to help people, to build your business, to find happiness like I'd never seen from you living in North Carolina with Bevin. You were perfect for her in every way. You supported her dreams, you made her feel seen, you adored her with every bit of your soul and I will forever be grateful to witness that kind of love."

The National Lightning Safety Council reported that "beach-related activities are the second-leading cause of lightning deaths in the U.S., now with 29 deaths since 2006." It further noted that "July is typically the deadliest month of the year for lightning in the U.S., averaging eight lightning fatalities based on the past 10 years."

"Don't take chances anytime a thunderstorm is in the area," the organization said. "If you hear even a distant rumble of thunder, you are already in danger and need to get to a safe place immediately."

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