Men hit by lightning plucked from mountain in a record-high Colorado helicopter rescues

By MEAD GRUVER

Rescuers fetched two men struck by lightning from a Colorado peak in what they believe were the highest helicopter rescues on record in this mountainous state.

One man remained hospitalized in fair condition Friday while the other was treated at a hospital and released.

The rescues happened late Thursday near the summit of Torreys Peak, a 14,300-foot mountain about 40 miles west of Denver. Torreys Peak is ranked variously as the 11th or 12th highest summit in Colorado and is less than 200 feet shorter than the state’s highest mountain, Mount Elbert.

The men from New York state, whose identities weren’t released, had decided to summit the mountain during a road trip, Alpine Rescue Team public information officer Jake Smith said.

They first called for help around 5 p.m. after getting off course on their way up a technical route. A different route doesn’t require climbing gear or expertise.

“It doesn’t sound like they had a ton of prior experience. I think it was probably just a lack of awareness,” said Smith, who was among the rescuers on the ground.

Rescue officials guided the men back on course, and they made it to the summit. Minutes later, one of them called back to report they had been struck by lightning.

About 30 rescuers went up the mountain while another team used a Colorado National Guard Blackhawk helicopter to get the more seriously injured man, who was nonresponsive and in critical condition, off the peak using a hoist at 14,200 feet.

He was flown down to an ambulance and taken to a local hospital, then to a Denver hospital with a burn unit, Smith said.

The helicopter made another trip around midnight to fetch the less seriously hurt man by partially touching down on the mountain.

The rescuers believe Colorado’s previous record for a helicopter rescue was 13,700 feet. Such rescues are challenging because thin air causes helicopters to lose lifting ability the higher they fly; the Blackhawk has an altitude limit of about 19,000 feet.

Hikers and climbers often prefer to ascend during the morning and avoid the Rocky Mountain high country on summer afternoons. Thunderstorms are common and can develop suddenly with dangerous lightning, hail and plummeting temperatures.