Posted on 09/23/2025 9:10:30 AM PDT by Red Badger
The bodies of two elk hunters — Andrew Porter of Asheville, North Carolina, and Ian Stasko of Salt Lake City, Utah — who went missing in southern Colorado on Sept. 11 were found Thursday. Some Wyoming hunters say it’s a grim reminder of the dangers weather and other backcountry hazards pose. (Saguache County Sheriff's Office) A lightning strike killed two elk hunters who went missing Sept. 11 in southern Colorado were found dead on Thursday, the coroner who investigated the case confirmed Monday afternoon.
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Lightning might have stuck a tree that Andrew Porter of Asheville, North Carolina, and Ian Stasko of Salt Lake City, Utah, both 25, were standing under, Conejos County, Colorado Coroner Richard Martin told Cowboy State Daily.
The bodies were found fully clothed and didn’t show any outward signs of trauma, Martin said.
He said determining the cause of death was “a pretty tough case,” because in most instances of fatal lightning strikes, there are entry and/or exit wounds from a massive bolt of electricity.
The tree that Porter and Stasko were apparently standing under also didn’t show any signs of a strike.
Martin said there’s no way of knowing for certain what transpired, but he surmised that the electricity from the bolt that struck the tree likely traveled through the tree, and into the ground.
And then the conductivity through the ground is probably what killed the two men, he said.
It’s likely that the fatal effect was that “all electrical functions” in their bodies were stopped instantly by the massive jolt coming from the lightning, he said.
Lightning A Serious Hazard
Lightning can be extremely dangerous, meteorologist Jan Curtis told Cowboy State Daily.
It doesn’t have to strike people directly to cause serious injury of death, he said.
If the ground is wet, in can conduct electricity from a nearby strike, said Curtis, who spent his career did meteorology and climatology for the U.S. Navy, the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. He also was the Wyoming State Climatologist from 2001 to 2005.
Meteorologist Don Day of Cheyenne agreed that lightning should be taken seriously.
“Personally I think lightning danger is something people don't think enough about, especially the amount of thunderstorms we get in this region and how people like to be outside; mountains, lakes, golfing, etc.,” he said.
“Lightning does not follow many rules, you should have deep respect for its dangers and its unpredictability,” he added.
“While the odds of being struck by lightning is 1 in 1,222,000, the USA averages 43 deaths per year from lightning strikes. The four states with the most lightning related fatalities are Florida, Texas, Colorado, North Carolina and Alabama. A lot of these happen on golf courses,” Day said.
Storms were reported last week in the region of the Rio Grande National Forest in Colorado where Porter and Stasko were hunting.
‘Pray For Their Families’
Like countless other hunters throughout the region, Olin Machen of Cody has been following Porter and Stasko’s story closely.
He said he was saddened to learn about the official cause of their deaths. He urged hunters to be mindful about lightning, and to show respect and compassion for the men’s families.
“In general, lightning safety for hunters would be to stay below tree line when afternoon storms pop up. Drop down off the tops of ridges even if it’s only a short distance, stay away from big rock formations that lightning may travel horizontally across, and don’t have the metallic objects like a rifle or trekking poles on your body,” he said.
“For me, and as a result of this tragedy, I’ll add, stay as far away from my hunting buddy, but still in view, as possible. Perhaps we can all take a lesson away from this and take a moment to pray for their families,” he said.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
Thanks Dave!
Thanks for the comments!
If they're dry.
Most likely the uppers of these guys boots were wet allowing electricity to be conducted along the outside. It's also likely their clothes were wet, too.
Cool remembrances.
We were sitting at a loading dock about to get out of the truck when the lightning hit. We did not see where it struck but it shook the truck or at least it felt like it. We were stunned.
“FOUR STATES”—THEN THEY LIST 5.
DID THESE WRITERS GET PAST 3rd GRADE????
“If you’re in the woods, trees may be everywhere.”
LOL...another Truism of Life!
BTW, here's my favorite rendition: "Old Dan Tucker."
My neighbor had two horses killed when a power line fell on the road by her house. The electricity went from the pavement to the corral about 60 ft away, the ground was wet from a earlier rainstorm and the poor horses died in pain as they tried to kick down the fencing before they succumbed.
I knew two people who were killed by lightening.
One was roofing a house.
The other was bring the milk cow into the barn. The lightening struck the cow, travelled across the chain of the lady leading the cow, and exited from her.
Both events were exceptionally gory.
sure
just not past four
In Southern Colorado, Southern Utah, Northern Arizona and Northern New Mexico have what's known as monsoon season from June through September.
Almost every day, usually in the afternoon, thunderstorms pop-up with rain and lightning for an hour or so, then dissipate.
It wouldn't surprise me if they got caught in one.
“The lightening struck the cow, travelled across the chain of the lady leading the cow, and exited from her.”
OMG...how awful is that? It’s rare enough to get hit by lightning, but to have the cow you are leading get hit and then you get if from the lead chain? The poor woman.
I lived in Pinetop, AZ at 7,500 ft (White Mountains) from Oct 1975 to early summer ‘76. I remember those almost-instantaneous summer storms well. I didn’t know about them when I moved there. It really was spectacular. Every afternoon around 3 pm, FLASH BOOM for 30 minutes, deluges and then it would blow over. It was amazing.
Something similar happened to me. Lost all electronic devices.
Insurance covered it. I made a newbie Circuit City sales guy very happy.
I was in the shower. Knocked me on my butt. Was out for a bit. The bolt hit a corner of the apartment building.
Happened again a few years later. No damage but I felt it.
Does North Carolina count as one, or two?
Signed, Barbie
North is Virginia silly.
Wow! You described that very well-that sense of helplessness to get to somewhere safe.
You felt what it was like when nature has control.
I felt that exact same thing one time when I got caught in a strong tidal current. I wasn’t in control, the hydraulic power of the water was...and that is a humbling thing.
That must have been deafening, if the truck was an empty one!
I did not know that...I am dwelling on how that could happen. I feel like I am on the periphery of figuring it out without consulting the Internet!
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