CONEJOS COUNTY, Co. – Two elk hunters were found fatally struck by lightning in Colorado more than two weeks after they went missing during severe weather.
The Conejos County Sheriff’s Office said Andrew Porter, 25, of Asheville, North Carolina, and Ian Stasko, 25, of Salt Lake City, Utah, were reported missing in the San Juan Wilderness Area on Sept. 13 when they failed to check in with loved ones.
A massive search was conducted for the two men, including air operations, multiple counties, dog teams, horseback rides, drones and volunteers.
NEW JERSEY GOLFER STRUCK BY LIGHTNING WEEKS AFTER ANOTHER NJ GOLFER KILLED BY LIGHTNING STRIKE
On left, Andrew Porter, 25, of Asheville, North Carolina, and on right, Ian Stasko, 25, of Salt Lake City, Utah.
(FOX Weather)
On Sept. 17, the sheriff’s office said the vehicle that Porter and Stasko drove to the trail head was found, but neither individual was there.
“Camping gear and backpacks were located in the vehicle, prompting deputies to become concerned due to heavy rain and bad weather,” the sheriff’s office said in an update.
Two weeks later, the search efforts grew to include the New Mexico State Police and La Plata County Search and Rescue Teams along with volunteers from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Wyoming and numerous other counties across Colorado, and the nation.
According to the sheriff’s office, their bodies were recovered on Sept. 18 at 11 a.m. near the Rio De Los Pinos Trail Head.
Conejos County Coroner Richard Martin told CPR that both men were killed by a lightning strike.
Porter’s fiancee, Bridget Murphy, wrote on Facebook, the pair died trying to get back to their car on Sept. 12 when the storms rolled in.
“On this tragic trip, they were caught in a bad circumstance. But they were together,” Murphy said. “They loved each other dearly and most importantly, we have them now.”
A GoFundMe started by Porter’s aunt, Lynne Runkle, has raised nearly $80,000 for the search efforts. Runkle said those funds will now go toward covering funeral expenses for the friends.
LIGHTNING SAFETY: WHEN THUNDER ROARS, EVEN TAKING OUT THE TRASH CAN TURN DEADLY
According to the National Lightning Safety Council, the young hunters’ deaths are the 15th and 16th U.S. lightning fatalities this year and the first in Colorado this year.
Colorado ranks third in terms of lightning deaths, with 27 in nearly 20 years. Only Florida, with 92, and Texas, with 42, have had more deaths.
The Council said these are only the 4th and 5th lightning deaths related to hunting since 2006. In previous hunting cases, the victims were near or under a tree that was struck by lightning.
