Lost hikers struck by lightning while on phone with Colorado rescuers
.png "Two hikers were rescued after they were struck by lightning on a mountain in Colorado.")
Two people hiking on a Colorado mountain were rescued after they were struck by lightning while on the phone calling for help.
Just before 5 p.m. June 12, Alpine Rescue Team was called for reports of two people who were lost and needed assistance on Torreys Peak, according to a Facebook post by the rescue team.
A mission leader spoke with the two people on the phone and gave them directions to get on route to a summit where they could take a summer trail down safely, rescuers said.
About an hour later, the two people made it to the summit but while on the phone with the mission leader, the two were struck by lightning, the rescue team said.
One of the people was reported to be unresponsive.
Rescue teams and first responders began an “emergent response,” rescuers said.
“Five ground teams were sent into the field to perform an evac from the summit, while simultaneously a hoist was requested,” the Alpine Rescue Team said in the post.
At around 11 p.m., rescuers made it to the “critical patient” and another team continued to the summit for the other person.
“The second patient along with a rescue tech and the Alpine members were airlifted from the summit at midnight,” rescuers said.
All other field teams were out by 3 a.m.
“This call illustrates how quickly situations change in Colorado’s high country, and the importance of having your 10 essentials and being prepared for a lengthy evacuation,” the rescue team said.
Torreys Peak is over 14,200 feet high.
This story was originally published June 15, 2025 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Lost hikers struck by lightning while on phone with Colorado rescuers."
