A 31-year-old woman was killed and three other people injured by a lightning strike on a hiking trail in the midwestern state of Colorado, local media reported. The four were hit near the Denny Creek trailhead Friday afternoon, and the coroner’s office confirmed the death several hours later, The Denver Post reported.
One person was flown to hospital in stable condition, while two others suffered minor injuries and were able to exit the scene on their own, the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office told the newspaper.
Emergency crews were delayed by bad weather, according to undersheriff Derek Bos.
“The weather is kind of playing a big issue on the helicopter flights,” Bos told the Post.
He estimated the hikers were at an elevation of about 12,500 feet (3,810 meters) when they were hit. Weather forecasts for the area had warned of thunderstorms around midday Friday.
The region where the hikers were struck, about 134 miles (215 kilometers) southwest of Denver, is a popular walking route and a common entry point to nearby Mount Yale.
Source: RawStory
