A father and his young son were discovered dead Wednesday in their tent at a Maroon Bells campsite, killed by what the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office says may have been a lightning strike.
Officials did not release the names or ages of the deceased, pending notification of next of kin.
The bodies were found by hikers in the area, who called the Pitkin County Regional Emergency Dispatch Center a little before 11 a.m. The campsite was south of West Maroon Pass at approximately 11,000 feet.
The Aspen Times reported the victims were a father and son. The newspaper said two other children — an older daughter, about 12 years old, and a younger son, about 8 or 9 years old — were sleeping in a nearby tent and were taken to a hospital for evaluation.
Mountain Rescue Aspen, Aspen Ambulance and Pitkin County deputies responded after the call.
The bodies were recovered with the assistance of Flight for Life Colorado.
An initial examination by the Pitkin County coroner suggested that a lightning strike was the cause of death, but official results are pending an autopsy.
