'One Tree Hill' star Bevin Prince's husband died after being struck by lightning
- "One Tree Hill" star Bevin Prince's husband William Friend died Sunday after he was struck by lightning.
- Friend was on a boat near Masonboro Island in Wilmington, North Carolina.
"One Tree Hill" star Bevin Prince's husband William Friend, 33, died on Sunday after being struck by lightning while on a boat near Masonboro Island in Wilmington, North Carolina, the National Lightning Safety Council has reported.
Representatives for Prince did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
According to local Wilmington news station WECT News, after police were flagged down and informed of the event they performed CPR on Friend as they were transporting him to meet EMS at the nearby Bradley Creek Marina. Upon meeting EMS, Friend was transferred to an ambulance, and CPR was performed for 20 minutes.
He was pronounced dead in the vehicle and his body was brought to the hospital where friends and family were waiting.
Friend was the CEO of Bisnow Media and owned a local fitness business with Prince in Wilmington, where the couple lived. He was born in the UK, but as reported by Bisnow, while visiting a friend in the US as a teenager, he became determined to move there.
Prince, who starred as Bevin on the WB/CW hit series "One Tree Hill" from 2004 to 2012, married Friend in May 2016. The couple moved from New York City to North Carolina during the pandemic to be "closer to family," according to Bisnow.
Prince's friend, actor Odette Annable posted a tribute to Friend on Instagram Wednesday.
"The life and love that you gave to my best friend made it feel okay that we were thousands of miles apart," Annable wrote to Friend. "As I sit in your beautiful home, looking out onto the ocean, I keep thinking about what a gift you gave to Bevin. "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. You supported her dreams, you made her feel seen, you adored her with every bit of your soul and I will forever be grateful to witness that kind of love," she continued.
Prince's former "One Tree Hill" costars shared messages of support for her on Instagram. "Heartbroken and at a loss," Sophia Bush wrote in her Instagram story on Wednesday. "Our family is grieving for one of our own. Please lift up @bevinaprince in whatever way you are able. Show her the love she deserves; the love her husband always showed her."
"Our friend @bevinaprince is one of those strong ones. She is light personified. As some of you know, her beloved husband @britwilliam passed this week. It's unfathomable," wrote Hilarie Burton. She also encouraged followers to give to a GoFundMe page set up in memory of Friend.
Danneel Ackles also posted about Friend on Instagram and encouraged her followers to give to the fund to support Prince's North Carolina-based fitness business, Recess.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.