Kaila White

The Republic | azcentral.com

Wade Young, 17, a recent graduate of Corona del Sol High School in Tempe, was the hiker who died after being struck by lightning on Humphreys Peak near Flagstaff early Wednesday afternoon, according to a family member.

Young's sister, Karinna Young, confirmed his death and said the family is not yet ready to speak publicly.

Young was hiking with two friends, ages 17 and 18, who called 911 after the strike about 12:50 p.m. Because of severe and continuous lightning strikes on the peak, emergency personnel couldn't reach the hikers until about 4 p.m., according to the Coconino County Sheriff's Office. Young was dead by the time workers arrived.

His two friends also are from Tempe. The 18-year-old is David Lyons, according to the Sheriff's Office, which is not releasing the name of the 17-year-old since he is a juvenile.

Young graduated from Corona del Sol this year, and he played on the Red Mountain Knights youth rugby team.

He also was an honors student, an AP Scholar Award winner, volleyball player, a member of the school’s top concert choir and president of Corona del Sol’s DECA club, according to a Tempe Union High School District release. In April he was recognized by Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell as a Tempe Top Teen.

Counselors will be available for students and staff 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday on the Corona del Sol campus, according to the statement. Anyone who needs immediate help can contact Teen Lifeline at 602-248-8336 or the Crisis Response Network at 602-222-9444.

A GoFundMe donation page for Young's family was posted Thursday afternoon and raised more than $6,000 in four hours.

'I will look up to him for years,' says best friend

His best friend, Kristian Sanchez, recruited him to play rugby for the first time as a senior.

"Playing with him would probably be favorite memory of him. He was always there for me when I needed him, both in a match and in life," Sanchez said Thursday.

The two met during their freshman year and hit it off right away. This summer Young helped Sanchez get a job at Angry Crab Shack, Sanchez said.

"I remember him being a goofy, weird kid. Although that was okay because he sort of matched me," Sanchez said, replying to a reporter on Twitter. "Being the bright kid he was, he focused and solved any problem thrown his way.

"He was my peer, my coworker, my gym buddy, my teammate, my best friend, and role model. He was driven and most of all focused. He set his future on a solid foundation and is the definition of an achieving student and I will look up to him for years to come."

Friends share memories of love and laughter

The rugby team posted a tribute to Young on Facebook.

"Wade commenced playing on our Varsity High School team in his senior year at Corona Del Sol and quickly earned a reputation as a fast finisher on the wing.

"In his last game for Red Mountain against Tempe, Wade scored a blistering try stepping his opposing wing, cutting in and scoring under the posts. His commitment to a national student business school training in Tennessee kept Wade from playing at the State Championship final," the post read.



"We have our 2016 captain Kristian Sanchez to thank for recruiting his best friend. This loss has come as an agonizing blow to Kristian, his father Coach Dolf and his brothers Noah and Diego."

Friends have been tweeting about Young using the hashtag #aztecstrong, writing about how much they loved his singing voice, his "goofy" charm and his red hair. See some of their tributes below: