Sheriff: Colo. hikers hit by lightning; dog killed

Raquel Villanueva and Allison Sylte | KUSA-TV, Denver

Show Caption Hide Caption Doctors: Dog likely saved hiker from lightning strike Doctors say that a German shepherd took the brunt of a lightning bolt and likely saved the hikers around him while on a Colorado mountain. He died, but everyone near him survived.

DENVER — Three people were transported to Denver-area hospitals after a lightning strike 500 feet below the summit of popular Mount Bierstadt Sunday morning.

The Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office says eight adults were transported from the trailhead, and that three adults were taken to Denver-area hospitals. One of them was in serious condition, the other two had non-life threatening injuries.

Five others refused further treatment, the sheriff's office said.

Initial reports said as many as 16 people were injured. A dog also died after the strike.

A call first came in about the incident at around 11:30 a.m. MT. Rescue crews initially said all of the victims were on the way down the mountain when they were struck.

"The storm came through really fast," hiker Pete Hunter said. "Didn't really see the clouds building as we'd expect in the distance. It was kind of like they built right on the summit."

Madeleine Ripley was on the peak with friends, and shocked by a strike while touching a rock.

"I felt lightning, and I just started running back down, and I kept going," she said.

Two hikers were missing for a short time, according to the sheriff's office, but they were later found by a National Guard helicopter that was flown in for the search. Authorities say they were college students from out of state.

Multiple area agencies were involved in the rescue. Victims were not able to be airlifted directly off the mountain due to weather conditions, though Flight for Life units were called.

A Blackhawk helicopter was also requested.

At 14,065 feet, Mount Bierstadt is one of the state's most popular 14ers — mountains over 14,000 feet in mountaineering parlance. Colorado has 58 such peaks, including Pike's Peak and Mount Elbert, the state's tallest. The peaks attract tens of thousands of climbers per season.

Mount Bierstadt sits nine miles southeast of Georgetown via Guanella Pass. The hike to the summit is roughly three miles one-way from the top of the pass, with an elevation gain of 2,391 feet.