The two missing elk hunters, whose bodies were found Thursday after a six-day search in southern Colorado, died from a lighting strike, according to an update from the fiancé of one of the hunters. Although an official statement on the cause of death has yet to be released by Conejos County, the Denver Post reports that county coroner Richard Martin confirmed lightning killed Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko, both 25.
“It is OFFICIAL that a lightning strike to the ground took them in an instant,” Porter’s fiancé, Bridget Murphy wrote in a Facebook post about Porter on Monday. “They didn’t do anything wrong, they didn’t feel fear or pain. [Andrew] was just trying to get back to the car as storms rolled in…”
Martin told the Post that neither Porter nor Stasko were directly struck by lightning, as there were no visible burn marks on their bodies. He said the lightning most likely hit nearby, but the two men were still close enough to be electrocuted. Conejos County officials told OL Friday that autopsies would be performed this week.
Lightning strikes to humans are rare, but powerful. A typical lightning flash is about 300 million volts, according to the National Weather Service; in comparison, most household currents are 120 volts.
Colorado Search and Rescue Association searchers found the bodies of Porter and Stasko on Thursday, ending a sprawling 6-day search that involved multiple agencies and hundreds of volunteers. The two bodies were located around 11 a.m., roughly two miles from the Rio de Los Pinos Trailhead in the Rio Grande National Forest, according to a press release issued that day by the Conejos County Sheriffs Office.
Murphy, who provided frequent updates on her Facebook page during the search, said she had lost communication with Porteron Sept. 11. He and Stasko were reported missing on Sept. 12, and search-and-rescue efforts began Sept. 13.
Search crews later found the missing hunters’ vehicle locked at the Rio de Los Pinos Trailhead, with their packs and camping gear still inside it. This location was also the last ping that Murphy had received from Porter’s device.
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Inclement weather had moved into the area on Friday, bringing rain, fog, and cold temperatures. In an update on Sept. 16, Murphy said that because their camping gear was still in their vehicle at the trailhead, she guessed that the two experienced hunters had gone back out for a quick evening hunt before the weather turned.
“It was out of everyone’s hands, and I am so grateful we found them so they can be at peace,” Murphy wrote in her post Monday, which was an extended tribute to her fiancé. “He was an experienced outdoorsman, who was in the wrong spot at the wrong time.”
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