Bevin Prince, known for her recurring role on One Tree Hill, has opened up about the tragic death of her husband earlier this year.
On July 3, the 40-year-old actress's spouse, William Friend, was on a boat in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina with family and friends when he was tragically struck by lightning.
Five months after the 33-year-old's devastating death, Prince spoke with correspondent Erielle Reshef for Good Morning America about her heartbreaking loss.
The actress - who played Bevin Mirskey on the CW show - remembers the painful moment her husband lost his life, the memories she shared with him, and how she has found comfort by giving back to the community.
Watch Prince's interview below:Friend had died a week before his 34th birthday after being struck by lightning while boating with a group, and died from his injuries.
Prince told the outlet that she remembered the moment she saw a storm coming in from a "distance" that day, noting that there were "60-some boats out there".
However, she explained that because "we'd been there so many times" there was "no urgency for anyone to get off the water at that time".
The actress revealed that she was on another boat with her father nearby when things drastically took a turn and Friend was unfortunately struck by lightning.
"It was instant," Prince recalled. "They rushed over to him and, at the time, a police boat happened to be coming by, so they moved him over to the police boat quickly. And from what I've heard, you know, spent a lot of time and care trying to resuscitate him."
Prince disclosed that right before the strike, her husband "lit a cigar and he looked at my father and he said, 'If we get struck by lightning, Mike, this is where I wanna be.' And then it happened."
Despite the unfortunate timing, the widow shared that she thinks there was "divinity" in his tragic passing, explaining: "I believe it was really his time."
"He was 33 years old. It was July 3 and I believe the exact time that the lightning struck was 3:13 p.m. So knowing that all the resources were there to potentially save him, I have to believe that something bigger beyond me was calling him," she added.
Deaths caused by lightning strikes are extremely rare, with just 11 fatalities and 69 injuries reported due to lighting in the United States in 2021, and 17 deaths and 53 injuries reported the year before, per Statista.
According to the CDC, around 40 million lightning strikes hit the ground in the US each year, but the odds of being struck are less than one in a million, with almost 90% of all lightning strike victims surviving.
Prince remembered her husband as "one of the funniest people I've ever met in my life," and said that he lived "such a life of purpose".
Now, the actress is honoring her late husband's memory by continuing the outdoor cycling gym they founded together called Recess.
"He believed in me and my message and what Recess really is, which is community, support, and ability to show up exactly as you are and breathe and move together," she said.
"I feel a responsibility to carry that on and to find my own way to continue to serve in his honor. And that's what my life will be now," she added.