All that guy had to do was look at the storm, see the squall, and not ride.
It's really not rocket science.
Also, the same thing had happened two days in a row at that launch site, and people knew it. If a a shark is appearing and eating guys two nights in a row at 5pm, I'm not going to jump in at 4 45.

To prove the point, check out Doppler right now.
Then look at what it is blowing over on the east side of the bay (20).
Wonder what it's going to be blowing here by 5pm (probably 4:15). Is it a guarantee it'll spike?
No, but I am not going out there right now, rigging my biggest kite and monkeying around 40 feet from shore til it hits, either.

I know I am sounding preachy, but I would rather come across that way and like a nanny than have some new riders not hear this. There are ways to limit getting whacked. Checking out Doppler and wind histories from the past couple of days to look for spikes prior to riding are two good ways to limit odds of getting caught in a storm.