Boyd Lake – The condition of a 20-year-old man struck by lightning was upgraded from critical to fair Monday, while another victim remained in critical condition at a burn unit in Greeley.
Nine people were injured when lightning struck a crowded beach Sunday afternoon. Four were taken to the hospital. In addition to the victim in the burn unit and 20-year-old Joseph Taylor Birkbeck, two others were hospitalized. One was released and the other was in good condition Monday. Their names had not been released.
Birkbeck’s family on Monday released a statement thanking bystanders for saving him.
“We were told three people immediately began giving Taylor CPR after he was struck by lightning. We have been told that these individuals’ immediate response helped save our son’s life,” the family said in a statement.
“These three people came to visit us earlier today, and we were able to thank them personally. But we want everyone to know how grateful we are to these three angels.”
LARIMER COUNTY
17-year-old dies after collapsing on hike
A 17-year-old boy died Monday after he collapsed while hiking near the Westbranch trail northwest of Chambers Lake, according to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office.
The teen, whose name had not been released pending notification of his family, was camping with a church group when he became ill, authorities said.
Rescuers performed CPR but were unable to revive him.
LOVELAND
Boyd Lake drowning victims identified
Officials have identified two women who drowned in a boating accident at Boyd Lake as Herlinda Rojas-Morales, 73, of Mexico and Maria Gallardo, 65, of El Paso, Texas. Investigators were trying to determine why their boat capsized Saturday in high winds.
“It could be a combination of a number of different things,” Brian Sandy, a boat-safety specialist for Colorado State Parks, said Sunday. “It could boil down to one.” Six people were in the boat – an 18-foot Sea Ray that holds eight people or 1,100 pounds – when it capsized.
The other four people in the boat were treated at McKee Medical Center in Loveland. Three were released, and a fourth remained in intensive care, said Cpl. Craig Kern, spokesman for the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities did not release the four people’s names. Kern said they were part of a gathering of 20-30 family members. The afternoon was calm and sunny, but a storm blew in quickly that evening, said Fred Bohlmann, Boyd Lake manager, bringing 38-mph winds and swells as high as 3 feet.
DENVER
Part of northbound I-25 closing tonight
T-REX contractors plan to close all lanes of northbound Interstate 25 between East Hampden Avenue and South Santa Fe Drive at 9 tonight so workers can complete the shift of I-25 lanes between Hampden and East Yale Avenue.
Northbound lanes should reopen by 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, officials said. T-REX stands for Transportation Expansion Project, the $1.67 billion highway widening and light-rail project on I-25 and Interstate 225. It is due for completion next year.
COLORADO SPRINGS
El Paso County short on health inspectors
El Paso County health inspectors are struggling to keep up with a growing number of restaurants in the fast-growing county.
Six inspectors are responsible for checking the county’s 2,445 restaurants, school cafeterias and grocery delis.
At least four more inspectors are needed, officials say.
The Health Department is discussing plans to request money to hire additional workers, a proposal that would have to be approved by the five-member Board of Health, which oversees the department.
Debbie Polelli, the head of food safety for the Health Department, notes that the Food and Drug Administration says there should be one full-time inspector for every 280 to 320 inspections. Her inspectors handle about 400 establishments apiece.
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
Searches continue for three missing in park
Park officials and volunteers continued combing the Yellowstone River and Lewis Lake on Monday for a missing Boy Scout, park employee and canoeist.
No developments were reported, although crews were using sonar and deep-water cameras to search the 139-square-mile Lewis Lake for Joseph R. Miller, 59, a Seattle man who was last seen canoeing in the lake’s rough water Saturday afternoon.
His disappearance was Yellowstone’s third in less than two weeks. Crews were also searching the northern section of the park for 13-year-old Luke Sanburg, of Helena, Mont., who fell into the rushing Yellowstone River on June 24, and Candace May Kellie, 19, of Belgrade, Mont., whose vehicle plunged into the river last week.
The searches, combined with heavy holiday traffic, have stretched park resources thin, officials said.
Kellie is an employee of Xanterra Parks & Resorts, based in Denver, which provides lodging, food, retail, marina and other services at Yellowstone.
