2 out-of-state hikers struck by lightning on Colorado mountain

Two men were struck by lightning on a Colorado mountain last week prompting one of the highest helicopter rescues on record in the state The two hikers from New York called for help just before p m Thursday after they wandered off track on Kelso Ridge while headed up Torreys Peak according to the Evergreen-based Alpine Rescue Squad Rescuers directed the pair back to the summit by phone Minutes later the squad got another call from the New Yorkers reporting that they had just been struck by lightning Alpine Rescue Unit functionaries explained Torreys Peak is a -foot mountain about miles west of Denver It s ranked variously as the th or th highest summit in Colorado and is less than feet shorter than the state s highest mountain Mount Elbert Five rescue teams headed up the mountain after the lightning strike while another band mobilized a Colorado National Guard Blackhawk helicopter leaders announced One of the hikers was nonresponsive and in critical condition rescuers commented He was flown off the peak first using a hoist at p m Thursday The man was taken to a local hospital and then transferred to a Denver-area hospital with a burn unit Alpine Rescue Club residents information officer Jake Smith explained The helicopter made another trip around midnight to fetch the second hiker with less serious injuries according to the Alpine Rescue Squad Both rescues took place at roughly feet Related Articles Man fatally shot by Aurora officers responding to family disturbance killed in Denver shooting near Coors Field What we saw during hours with Denver police on th Street mall Medicaid individual arena soundness insurance would be harder to get in Colorado under GOP bill Butterflies are disappearing Here s how Colorado public scientists are working to save them Rescue representatives believe Colorado s previous record for a helicopter rescue was feet Such rescues are challenging because thin air causes helicopters to lose lifting ability the higher they fly the Blackhawk has an altitude limit of about feet One man remained hospitalized Friday while the other was treated at a hospital and distributed No updates on their conditions were available Sunday It doesn t sound like they had a ton of prior experience I think it was supposedly just a lack of awareness declared Smith who was among the rescuers on the ground Kelso Ridge is considered a highly challenging road it should only be attempted by experienced adventurers according to AllTrails It s a popular way for hikers to summit two fourteeners Grays Peak and Torreys Peak in the same day If you don t know anything about rock climbing stay away from Kelso Ridge one hiker wrote on the website The Associated Press contributed to this review Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter