Dr. Tim Boyd, a former Oregon State University (OSU) professor, died Sunday after being struck by lightning on Jubilee Bridge near his home in Port Appin, Argyll, Scotland.

The incident took place while Boyd was walking his dog.

A large storm in the area at that time caused lightning bolts, thunder, heavy rain and hailstones and knocked down power and phone lines.

"It's a real shame, you think you are simply going out for a walk and something like this happens. The thoughts of the community are with them," Alison MacCorquodale, convener of Appin Community Council, told Scotsman.

Alison Gourlay, a resident of Appin was walking her dog on the bridge at about 1.20 p.m. when she found Dr. Boyd's body.

"Police were called to a report of the sudden death of a 54-year-old man in Port Appin, Argyll, around 1.25 pm on Sunday," a Strathclyde Police spokeswoman told BBC.

Boyd, 54, an American born scientist, moved to Scotland in 2007 after working as an Oceanographer at OSU.

He later joined Scottish Association of Marine Drives (SAMS) and was responsible for the development of the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle technology program and interpreting the data from these platforms.

According to SAMS, Boyd was a well-respected physical oceanographer with internationally recognized expertise in Arctic oceanography.

Boyd is survived by his wife and two daughters.