Colorado officials announced on Monday that two hikers who were found dead on Thursday were killed by lightning.
Conejos County Coroner Richard Martin told The Colorado Sun that Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko, both 25, were found below a tree and suffered “two or three” minor burns. Though Martin could not pinpoint when Porter and Stasko died, he said he believed they died immediately.
Regarding the burns, Martin compared the men’s injuries to “tak[ing] a match and stick[ing] it on your arm.”
Conejos County Sheriff Garth Crowther told The Colorado Sun that Stasko and Porter were wearing camouflage clothing and were found near each other. The men also had one small day pack between them, and one of them had a crossbow, according to Crowther.
Stasko and Porter were last seen on September 11, before deputies located their vehicle near the Rio de los Pinos Trailhead with their backpacks and camping gear inside.
According to KUSA, GPS data from a Garmin InReach satellite communication device indicated that the two hunters spent three days at a campsite until September 11 — when they headed south to the trailhead where their car was located. The pair apparently spent the night in their vehicle before venturing out again.
KUSA reported that a heavy storm hit the area on September 12, and temperatures dropped into the 20s. The storm subsided on September 14, a day before Porter was to fly home to North Carolina, and Stasko to Utah.
The men’s bodies were located two miles from the trailhead. The Colorado Sun reported that there was no evidence of foul play.
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