Lightning Strikes Hikers in Arizona

Flagstaff, Arizona — Two hikers were rescued on Tuesday after being struck by lightning at the summit of a northern Arizona mountain.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the hikers were located on Humphreys Peak.

Initially, the deputies received a call from the two men, who informed them they had both experienced a lightning strike. Interestingly, one was from Flagstaff, while the other hailed from Canada, and they hadn’t met before this incident.

During their stay on the peak, they had been taking photos when the lightning hit.

A search and rescue team was quickly dispatched to the trailhead. Despite the urgency, air support was not available because of adverse weather conditions—lightning, hail, and heavy rain.

Rescue teams utilized two UTVs to reach the hikers but continued the rest of the rescue on foot.

It was reported that another injured hiker had stopped approximately 1.1 miles up the trail, near the saddle between Humphreys and Agassiz Mountains, at an elevation of 11,800 feet, unable to continue climbing.

The situation for the second victim was serious, requiring the responders to use a stretcher due to the challenging terrain and his condition.

Once the two hikers were brought down safely, they were transported to the local incident command post and subsequently taken by ambulance to Flagstaff Medical Center for further treatment and observation.

According to the National Weather Service, around 20 individuals lose their lives to lightning strikes in the U.S. each year, with hundreds more sustaining serious injuries.

On average, lightning strikes occur about 25 million times annually across the country.