Man Killed By Lightning Strike In Boulder County

BOULDER, CO — A couple was struck by lightning Sunday while hiking near the Bear Creek Trail in Boulder County. The man died from his injuries, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office said.

The office received a 911 call from a hiker just before 1 p.m., who said two people had been struck by lightning. The caller said one of the victims was unconscious and not breathing, and a passerby had begun CPR on him.

Rescuers found the 37-year-old Denver woman conscious and alert about a quarter of a mile up the Bear Creek Trail in the 2700 block of Bison Road, the sheriff's office said. Rangers used a defibrillator on her 37-year-old husband, and were able to detect his pulse again. He was evacuated by a helicopter to an area hospital, where he later died, authorities said.

The man likely received a direct lightning strike to his upper body, the sheriff's office said. His wife suffered injuries from the electrical strike that hit her husband. She was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

More than five rescue agencies and teams assisted with the rescue operation, which took about two hours.

The man's identity is being withheld pending notification of his other family members.