A lightning strike was the cause of death for two hunters found Thursday near the Rio de Los Pinos Trailhead, according to Conejos County Coroner Richard Martin, following an autopsy performed in El Paso County on Monday.
Andrew Porter, 25, of North Carolina, and Ian Stasko, 25, of Utah, were reported missing last week by family while elk hunting in rugged terrain southwest of Monte Vista in Game Management Unit 81. Alarm bells went off for family members when Porter failed to check in at a predetermined time on Sept. 11, according to a news release by the Conejos County Sheriff’s Office.
A massive search began Sept. 13 and continued for nearly a week before the bodies were recovered about 2 miles from the Rio de Los Pinos Trailhead on Thursday, according to an updated release from the Sheriff’s Office.
The hunters’ bodies, which had minor burns, were found at the base of a tree, Martin said.
The men’s death were likely instantaneous and painless, Martin said. The exact time of death could not be determined and likely never will be, Martin said.
“It is OFFICIAL, that a lightning strike to the ground took them in an instant,” Porter’s fiancee, Bridget Murphy, wrote in a Facebook post Monday.
“I sure feel like a widow. I sure feel like my future is blank now. But what reassures me is that they were doing what they loved, without fear, well prepared and equipped and this is a bizarre horrific act of nature. It could’ve happened anywhere, to anyone,” she said.
The odds of being struck by lightning are extremely low – approximately 1 in 1.2 million per year, according to the National Weather Service. However, data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found Colorado has the third-highest lightning fatality rate in the U.S. over a 10-year period.
The National Weather Service reports that the only truly safe places to avoid lightning are inside a fully enclosed vehicle or building. It warns against seeking shelter in picnic shelters, bullpens, any type of tent, beneath trees or in any small structure open to the elements.
If caught in a lightning storm with no enclosed shelter nearby, the NWS recommends moving away from isolated objects, including trees, and wide-open areas; staying as low as possible with feet close together; and, if in a group, spreading out so first aid can be provided by others if someone is struck.
“An informed decision will help you avoid being in an area where lightning is expected to occur,” the National Weather Service said in a news release. “Before heading out, get an updated forecast. Stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio, check National Weather Service websites, go to your favorite broadcast media, or access your favorite weather apps on your cellphone for the latest forecast.”
epond@durangoherald.com
