Lightning Safety Specialist John Jensenius and Dr. Taryn Travis, a Burn Surgeon at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, joins FOX Weather to share the best tips on how to stay safe during this type of severe weather, after a man in Wisconsin tragically died.
DENVER, Colo. – Tragedy has unfolded on a summer hike in the wilderness of Denver, Colorado, as a group of hikers was struck by lightning, resulting in the death of a young man.
The Cleer Creek County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a lightning strike that occurred while five people were hiking along Mount Blue Sky on Sunday.
This comes as another person in the area reported seeing the lightning bolt, followed by calls for help as several agencies of first responders arrived at the scene.
Authorities said one child was seriously injured and airlifted to a nearby hospital, while two others sustained minor injuries.
Lightning strike in Denver.
(FOX Weather)
The FOX Forecast Center said there were 19 lightning reports in the area around 1:30 p.m. MT on Sunday.
LIGHTNING-SPARKED WILDFIRES RAGE ACROSS OREGON AND WASHINGTON AFTER MID-JULY SEVERE STORMS
The sheriff’s office said a young man had died, but didn’t immediately release his identity.
The status of the severely injured victim is currently unknown.
![[UNVERIFIED CONTENT] A car zips by as a bolt of lightning rains down from a thunderstorm near Pueblo West Colorado on June 20th 2013.](https://images.foxweather.com/static.foxweather.com/www.foxweather.com/content/uploads/2026/07/668/376/gettyimages-171898912-scaled.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
[UNVERIFIED CONTENT] A car zips by as a bolt of lightning rains down from a thunderstorm near Pueblo West Colorado on June 20th 2013.
(Getty Images)
The Denver area is expected to receive more nasty weather on Monday, with a chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms through the night, according to the National Weather Service.
While we might think of lightning dangers as only affecting those caught in the middle of a field, or stuck on a hilltop, lightning safety experts stress that being outside anywhere is a dangerous risk when lightning is in the area.
If you’re outside during a thunderstorm, you’re in danger. The priority is to get inside.
That can be inside a car or inside a building, but you should wait until 30 minutes after the last thunder to resume outdoor activity.
