CONEJOS COUNTY, Colo. — The two hunters who died in Colorado's backcountry last week were struck by lightning, a coroner confirmed to Scripps News Denver on Monday.
The bodies of Andrew Porter of Asheville, North Carolina, and Ian Stasko of Salt Lake City, Utah, both 25 years old, were found a couple miles away from a trailhead in Conejos County on Sept. 18.
On Monday afternoon, Scripps News Denver called the Conejos County coroner, who told us that the two men died from a lightning strike. The official autopsy report will become available after eight to 10 weeks.
The Conejos County Sheriff's Office announced on Sept. 16 that the two men had disappeared during an elk hunting trip west of Trujillo Meadows Reservoir, which is about 4 miles north of the Colorado-New Mexico line.
Their loved ones had been expecting them to check in at a predetermined time, but they never did, the sheriff's office said. The families have not heard from the men since Sept. 11, when severe storms pummeled the area.
Two days after, on Sept. 13, deputies with the sheriff's office responded to the Rio De Los Pinos Trailhead to try to locate the two men. They found their vehicle with camping gear and backpacks inside, but did not find the men.
The sheriff's office said this concerned deputies because of the recent poor weather. Porter's fiancée, Bridget Murphy, told News5 that while Porter and Stasko are experienced hunters, "bad cold storms and fog came in quickly and continuously until Sunday (Sept. 14) morning."
The search for the men included crews on foot, in the air and with dogs. More than 54 teams of professionally trained search and rescue personnel from Colorado, Texas, Arkansas, Wyoming and other states were involved, as well as volunteers.
Porter and Stasko were found deceased on Sept. 18 by Colorado Search and Rescue, family members told Scripps News Denver7.
That day, the sheriff's office confirmed they had found the bodies of two males about two miles from the Rio De Los Pinos Trailhead around 11 a.m. following an "extensive search operation," and confirmed their identities the following day.
Conejos County Coroner Richard Martin previously told Scripps News Denver that there were no visible injuries on the men's bodies and no "initial signs of foul play."
Colorado has seen its fair share of lightning-related incidents, as thunderstorms are common in the late spring through the summer — a common time for people to recreate above tree line, which is typically between 11,000 and 12,000 feet.
In an average year, lightning strikes the ground in Colorado about 500,000 times, the National Weather Service said. Based on NWS data since 1980, lightning kills two people and injures 12 in Colorado each year.
In mid-June, two men from New York were rescued near the summit of Torreys Peak, which has a summit around 14,300 feet, after they were both struck by lightning.
A National Guard Blackhawk helicopter pilot was able to make two trips to save the men. This is likely the highest helicopter rescue in Colorado history.
In May 2024, a rancher and 34 head of cattle died in a lightning strike in Jackson County. The blast knocked about 100 of the cows off their feet.
A few years ago, a Colorado native escaped lightning on Mount Shavano on a day with a clear forecast. She was on her way down from the summit around 10:30 a.m. when she was shocked by some rocks.
Back in 2019, eight people were injured when lightning struck an entire group of hikers at Devil's Head Lookout. The strike hit a rock wall near the hikers, and the blast knocked many of them to the ground, an incident commander told Scripps News Denver.
The National Park Service has shared a few tips about what to do if a storm moves in while you are recreating.
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Massive search effort underway in Colorado for 2 missing hunters
For several days, a search effort has been underway for two missing hunters in southern Colorado. According to the Conejos County Sheriff's office, they responded to the Rio De Los Pinos Trailhead to make contact with two people who were reported overdue while elk hunting on Sept. 13.
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