One Tree Hill star Bevin Prince's British husband dies from lightning strike

7 July 2022, 11:30

One Tree Hill actress Bevin Prince's British husband has died after being struck by lightning in North Carolina.

William Friend, 33, was on a boat with friends near Masonboro Island on Sunday, July 3, when he was struck.

Emergency responders attempted to revive him, but he was pronounced dead in the ambulance, the outlet reports. His death came just one week before what would have been his 34th birthday.

Officials responded with their marine unit after civilians flagged them down during a routine patrol. Deputies found Friend on the boat and performed CPR while taking him to EMS. EMS attempted to resuscitate Friend for 20 minutes before he was pronounced dead,

WECT reported Bevin Prince's friend and fellow actress Odette Annable confirmed his death on Instagram with a heartbreaking post honouring his life.

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

"The life and love that you gave to my best friend made it feel okay that we were thousands of miles apart."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."Friend was the CEO of commercial real estate company Bisnow for the past seven years."

What made Will special was his innate ability to inspire and motivate people - to raise people higher than they thought possible," said Bisnow COO Greg Mayer in a statement.

"That is the culture he fostered at Bisnow and, ultimately, that will be his lasting legacy."

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Friend started a business with former actress and wife Bevin Prince called Recess where she works as a spin instructor.

Prince rose to fame when she debuted as Bevin Mirksy in One Tree Hill in 2004.She married Friend in May 2016, and the two moved to North Carolina during the Covid-19 pandemic to be near family.

She concluded by sharing a Go Fund Link asking people to donate money to two causes he felt strongly about in lieu of flowers.

One of the businesses is the fitness project Bevin and Will launched together in 2019.