Two hikers struck by lightning while taking photos from peak of Arizona mountain

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Two hikers were rescued from the peak of a mountain in northern Arizona after being struck by lightning on Tuesday.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the rescue, saying the hikers were saved from the summit of Humphreys Peak. 

On Tuesday, the sheriff’s deputies received a call from two male hikers who told officers they had been struck by lightning.

Surprisingly, the two stranded hikers didn’t know each other and were from Flagstaff and Canada.

They were taking photos while at the summit of the mountain when they were hit by lightning, the sheriff’s office confirmed. 

Search-and-rescue teams were immediately deployed to the trailhead.

Officials state they requested aircraft support but were denied due to severe weather, including lightning, hail, and heavy rain.

According to the sheriff’s office, rescue teams used two UTV vehicles to reach the victims before completing the rest of the rescue on foot.

“He reported that the other injured hiker had been unable to continue and had stopped near the saddle between Humphreys and Agassiz Peaks, roughly 0.7 miles farther up the trail at 11,800 feet,” read a press release from the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office.

First responders had to use a litter carry-out to extract the second victim since he was unable to walk due to the steep terrain and his physical condition. 

Both hikers were successfully taken to the Incident Command Post in the area, where an ambulance then drove them both to Flagstaff Medical Center for treatment and observation.

According to the National Weather Service, lightning kills about 20 people in the U.S. each year, and hundreds more are severely injured.

Lightning strikes occur about 25 million times a year in the U.S.