NOW: 31-year-old contractor for We Energies killed in Whitewater by lightning strikeTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 videoUpdated: 12:50 p.m. on July 31, 2026WHITEWATER, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Whitewater Fire and EMS identified the victim of a fatal lightning strike as 31-year-old Rodrigo Barrera Arreola of West Virginia. Posted: 3:03 p.m. on July 28, 2026WHITEWATER, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A 29-year-old Whitewater man is dead after being struck by lightning following severe storms that passed through Monday, July 27. A representative for We Energies says the 29-year-old was a contractor performing work on their behalf. Whitewater authorities say they believe the tree the man had been working on was struck by lightning, killing him. “Anytime that you’re outside during a thunderstorm, it’s a dangerous situation,”--Chris Vagasky, a lightning data specialist based in Madison, Wisconsin.