Prince's husband died on July 3 after he was struck by lightning in North Carolina. He was 33.
One Tree Hill star Bevin Prince is publicly speaking out for the first time about the nightmare of losing her 33-year-old husband, William Friend, after he was killed by a lightning strike.
During an episode on the 1 on 1 With Jon Evans podcast, Prince opened up about the tragic July 3 incident in North Carolina. She said they were out doing what they'd done a million times, only this time everything changed in an instant.
"It was like any other day that we'd done a million times," said Prince for an episode that dropped Friday. "The storm was far away. We're on the boat, everything's fine. And then, in an instant, everything has changed. There's no normal, and there's no playbook for it."
Prince and Friend were on a boat near Masonboro Island, off the coast of Wilmington. When Friend was struck by lightning, Prince says they happened to be next to a boar carrying a nurse and former member of the military. They immediately rendered aid. She added that the police boat also happened to be riding by, and they swiftly moved Friend's body from the couple's boat to the police boat.
Deputies from the Hanover County Sheriff's Marine Unit performed CPR on the 33-year-old CEO before taking him to the Marina for emergency medical attention. EMS then moved Friend to an ambulance, where they attempted to resuscitate him for 20 minutes before he was pronounced dead.
"In my mind, there was absolutely nothing that could have been done," Prince said. "And I have to accept that this is larger than me and my understanding at this time."
Prince says she's still taking things day to day and that "some days, it doesn't feel OK." When that happens, Prince says she reminds herself of the options at hand.
"I can stay here on this planet, or I cannot, and that's not an option for me," she says on the podcast. "So, I really only have one option. I knew when Will passed, I said, 'OK, I was fortunate enough to experience the kind of love and support and partnership that I know so many people will never feel, so my life's now a service. My life now is service. That's it.' I'm going to do everything I can to serve the people in my community and the people that work with me and my friends and my family and I will continue to show up and do that. That's all I know. That's all I can do. That's the only option."
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