Without knowing the facts of this case, only third hand anecdotes, it's hard to know what really happened. But people tend to panic when it rains while they are boating, especially when there is lightning.
I just searched and found out that around 40 people a year die from lightning strikes and over 500 a year die in boating accidents. So a mad dash to port in a storm is probably more dangerous than waiting it out or slowly and safely returning to port.
Of course in my case, dying from a boat hook to the head is more likely, my wife hates being out in the lightning.
