Los Angeles

Friends, Family Remember Venice Beach Lightning Strike Victim

In the year since Fagano's death, his parents, Mary and Jay Fagnano, founded the Thrive in Joy Nick Fagnano Foundation, created in memory of their son and to continue efforts on beach safety.

Friends and family paid tribute Monday to a 20-year-old college student who was killed in a bizarre lightning strike on Venice Beach one year ago.

Last year, Nick Fagnano had stepped into the water to wash off the sand when he and several others were struck by a bolt of lightning. Fagano was taken to Marina Del Rey Hospital where he later died.

Seven others were hospitalized after the lightning strike, including one with critical injuries.

Two tributes were held Monday in Venice Beach, one at 2:30 p.m. around the time the incident occurred last July, and one at sunset. Friends and family participated in a day of beach activities and picnic-style lunch and dinner. Photos showed mourners gathered in the shape of a heart on the beach to celebrate the life of a man described by family as "joyous."

Fagnano was a Los Angeles native and graduate of Notre Dame High School. He attended Santa Barbara and Santa Monica city colleges, and was accepted to USC where he planned to attend the fall of 2014.

In the year since Fagnano's death, his parents, Mary and Jay Fagnano, founded the Thrive in Joy Nick Fagnano Foundation, which has provided an annual scholarship for a transfer student at USC.

"We try to reward character through education and recreation. Those were things that were very important to Nick," said Fagnano's father, Jay, at the gathering Monday.

Information about the Thrive in Joy Foundation is available at http://thenickfagnanofoundation.squarespace.com/

NBC4's Gadi Schwartz contributed to this report.

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