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“Check the forecast before you head out,” urged Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera
NEED TO KNOW
- A 59-year-old man died of a suspected lightning strike during a hike with his brother in a Utah mountain range on Saturday, July 18
- The victim was close to the summit when he collapsed to the ground
- An investigation into the incident is ongoing
A 59-year-old man was climbing a peak in Utah with his brother when he died in a suspected lightning strike.
On the morning of Saturday, July 18, Craig Nelson and his brother began their hike up the American Fork Twin Peaks — a trek they’d taken many times before — before stopping to eat at 10:30 a.m. local time, the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release obtained by PEOPLE.
“The brothers noticed weather moving into the area around 10:30 a.m. and stopped to eat lunch while they monitored conditions,” authorities said. “Because they did not see any lightning, they continued their hike.”
By approximately 11:40 a.m., the brothers reached the area near Twin Peaks. The surviving brother reached the east peak first and as the weather conditions continued to deteriorate, they decided it was time to head back down.
Nelson continued toward the summit. As he reached the top, he collapsed after appearing to be struck by lightning, authorities said. His brother, who was approximately 20 feet away, ran back to the tram that had brought them up earlier and called 911 at around 12:01 p.m.
The sheriff’s office search and rescue team was one of the responding agencies and responded at 12:22 p.m. to reports of “an individual who was struck by lightning near the summit of the east peak” of Twin Peaks, the agency said in an alert.
A helicopter was dispatched and quickly located the victim, but rescue teams had to wait for the storm to clear before they could retrieve him.
“Tragically, the patient did not survive,” SAR said. Members of the Snowbird Ski Patrol helped “with the safe escort of the patient’s hiking partner off the mountain,” the agency continued.
“Our sincerest condolences go out to the individual’s family, friends, and all those affected by this tragic loss,” the sheriff’s office said.
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Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera told reporters at a press conference on Monday, July 20, that the investigation will stay open until the autopsy results are complete, The Salt Lake Tribune, reported. She also urged outdoor enthusiasts to be prepared for inclement weather.
“Check the forecast before you head out,” the sheriff said, according to the paper, “pay attention to changing weather conditions throughout your hike and be prepared to change your plans if storms move into the area.”
Read the original article on People
