Lightning Strikes Hiker in Utah
A man from Utah lost his life last week after being struck by lightning during a hike with his brother near the summit of the highest mountain in Salt Lake County.
Craig Nelson, 59, alongside his brother, took the Snowbird Tram partway up the mountain on Saturday morning, aiming for the eastern peak of American Fork Twin Peaks. According to Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera, the brothers had often hiked together before.
About 10:30 a.m., they paused for lunch and noticed the weather starting to shift. However, after looking at the sky and seeing no immediate signs of lightning, they decided to continue their ascent.
Rivera mentioned in a recent press conference that Utah’s weather can change rapidly and unpredictably.
Roughly an hour later, as they reached the peak, the situation deteriorated. The brothers began their descent but then realized the weather had worsened. Nelson’s brother witnessed him fall suddenly about six feet away and immediately suspected lightning was the cause.
In a scramble, the surviving brother hurried back to the Snowbird Tram and managed to call 911 after cell phone service was restored shortly after noon.
A helicopter from the Utah Department of Public Safety was able to locate Nelson near the summit. Unfortunately, rescuers had to wait for the storm to pass before reaching him. Sadly, he was pronounced dead at the scene. The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team coordinated with the Snowbird Ski Patrol to help Nelson’s brother off the mountain safely.
At 11,461 feet, American Fork Twin Peaks stands as the highest peak in Salt Lake County. Rivera stressed the need for hikers to stay aware of changing weather conditions and to check forecasts before embarking on their journeys. She advised that hikers should ideally retreat from exposed ridges and peaks when a storm is imminent.
The Sheriff’s office added that hikers should seek low ground, avoid isolated trees and bodies of water during storms, and if unable to find a shelter, stay close together and crouch low until the storm passes. Meanwhile, the investigation continues, pending the Utah coroner’s determination of Nelson’s official cause of death.
