US EditionWisconsin DNR Forester Killed by Lightning Strike While on Duty Monday
Adam Zirbel, 48, was struck by lightning while working outdoors; the U.S. averages 20 lightning deaths annually, officials said.
- On September 22, 2025, Adam Zirbel, 48-year-old Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources forester from Plymouth, was found shortly after 7:40 p.m. in a wooded area of the Town of Kewaskum.
- While working in the New Fane Trail area, Zirbel did not return home on September 22, prompting a search that found his vehicle in Fond du Lac County near the Washington County line.
- The Washington County Medical Examiner's Office determined the cause of death was a lightning strike, verified after investigators confirmed a documented strike at about 10:15 a.m.
- Washington County Sheriff Martin Schulteis extended condolences and said, `Although extremely rare, this case illustrates the need to take the threat of lightning and the dangers it poses seriously,` noting the United States averages about 20 lightning fatalities per year.
- A DNR official noted that Zirbel had served for 13 years as a forester with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; the report was updated on Sep 25, 2025.
11 Articles
11 Articles
DNR forestry employee dies a from lightning strike
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Wis. — A Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources forestry employee dies after being struck by lightning. 48-year-old Adam Zirbel from Plymouth went missing on September 22 after working on the New Fane Trail area and not returning home. His vehicle was found in Fond du Lac County, and the search track was moving towards the Washington County/Fond du Lac County line. He was eventually found dead in a wooded area around 7:40 p…
Lightning strike kills Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources employee
A Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources employee died from a lightning strike in Kewaskum earlier this week, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said in a Sept. 25 news release. Authorities began searching for Adam Zirbel, 48, on the evening of Monday, Sept. 22 after he did not return from working in the New Fane Trail area for the day. Zirbel, who was from Plymouth, worked as a forester for the DNR. Officials found Zirbel's vehicle in Fo…
Lightning strike kills man in Town of Kewaskum | By Lt. of Detectives Tim Kemps
September 26, 2025 – Town of Kewaskum, Wi – On September 22, 2025 at around 7 p.m. the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Kewaskum Fire Department, was requested to assist in a search that was already underway by DNR and Fond du Lac County authorities for a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forestry […]
Wisconsin DNR forester killed in lightning strike
A forester with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources was killed by a lightning strike while working in Kewaskum this week. The post Wisconsin DNR forester killed in lightning strike appeared first on WPR.
48-year-old Plymouth man, DNR employee struck by lightning, dies
A 48-year-old Plymouth man and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources employee was found dead near the town of Kewaskum on Sept. 22 after being struck by lightning, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said.
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