GEORGETOWN, Colo. — A group of hikers were struck by lightning while descending 14,060-foot Mount Bierstadt on Sunday.
The Alpine Rescue Team responded, and three people were taken by ambulance to area hospitals. Two had non-life-threatening injuries, and one person was in serious condition, 7NEWS reports.
Five other people refused further treatment at a hospital. Rescuers planned to recover a dog that was also struck and killed on Monday after the danger of additional lighting passed.
The lighting struck around 11:30 a.m. Sunday about 500 feet below the summit of Mount Bierstadt, the sheriff’s office said. Storm Station7 Meteorologist Matt Makens said there were 16 strikes in the area, and a handful were right on the mountain.
Other hikers helped those injured before responders arrived.
Hiker Taylor Craft described the scenario of bolts hitting the mountain.
“When that first strike happened, I could feel like a tingling in my fingers,” Craft said. “I could feel more static in the air, so I tried to stay as low as I could. I could feel it in my metal hat point, and then I could feel it pulling my hair up as well.”