Lightning strikes near a ridge as a storm passes
Lightning strikes near a ridge as a storm passes though Death Valley National Park in California just after sunset July 21, 2009. REUTERS/Steve Marcus (UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENT) Reuters

Lightning struck near several hikers on late Sunday morning near the peak of Mount Bierstadt in Colorado. The victims lost consciouness from 30 seconds to five minutes, but all eventually regained consciousness.

Most of them were knocked off their feet and shocked the hikers indirectly through the ground, said Dawn Wilson, spokeswoman of Alpine Rescue, one of the groups that heeded the hikers’ call for help. The rescuers and a National Guard helicopter picked up the eight hikers off the 14,000-foot-high peak. Because Bierstadt’s peak could be reached after hiking for three miles, it is a popular destination for hikers.

The lightning also hit and killed a dog with the hikers. One of the hikers, Madeleine Ripley, said she was shocked by the lightning strike while holding on a rock. Three of the hikers were hospitalised, with one of them in serious condition, reports KRQE.

Because Colorado mountains are rocky and its summit exposed, the peaks are prone to lightning strikes from thunderstorms that often happen on summer afternoons. To avoid lightning strikes, experts advised hikers to be on their way down by noon.

When a storm hits and hikers are far from their cars, the National Weather Service’s recommendation is for them to stay away from summits, solitary trees and rocks. It also advised people caught during a thunderstorm to crouch on their heels, reports Associated Press.

On Saturday, a lightning strike at the Mogollon Rim in northern Arizona killed a woman and injured other people who sought shelter under a tree during a thunderstorm. Colorado is one of six states that top the list for lightning deaths in the past 10 years. The five others are Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina and New Jersey.

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