Eight people were injured when lightning struck Clearwater Beach on Sunday afternoon.

One of the victims, a male in his 40s, was struck directly and suffered cardiac arrest, the city of Clearwater said in a statement. He is currently in critical condition.

Clearwater is in Pinellas County, Florida, northwest of Tampa and St. Petersburg.

Five of the eight were taken to area hospitals. Three others refused treatment.

All of those affected were in the beach area at the time of the strike, the city said.

The lightning struck at about 12:40 p.m., approximately ten minutes after beach lifeguards left their towers due to bad weather, according to the city.

Clearwater Fire and Rescue said, as a reminder, "When you hear the roar, go indoor."