Four hikers were struck by lightning Friday afternoon around 2:30 p.m. near the Denny Creek trailhead near Buena Vista, the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office reported.
Two were in critical condition while the other two had minor injuries and were able to “self-evacuate,” said undersheriff Derek Bos.
One of the critical victims was evacuated by a Flight for Life helicopter at around 5:45 p.m.; the other was being carried out by rescue workers, Bos said.
The emergency call came from people nearby, and search-and-rescue crews were dispatched to the scene. Flight for Life was dispatched but was grounded for hours by weather conditions.
“The weather is kind of playing a big issue on the helicopter flights,” Bos said just before 6 p.m. He estimated the hikers were at an elevation of about 12,500 feet when they were struck.
The trailhead is about 11 miles west of Buena Vista and is a popular gateway to Mount Yale, Hartenstein Lake and Browns Pass.
Matthew Nussbaum: 303-954-1666, mnussbaum@ or MatthewNussbaum
