The rescue teams were first alerted about the incident at 5pm but it wasn't until around midnight that the helicopter made a second trip to rerscue the less seriously hurt man Two men have been rushed to hospital after being struck by lightning during a road trip. On Thursday, June 12 at around 5pm rescuers sprung into action when the two men were struck by lightning from a Colorado peak during a hike. Rescuers believe it was one of the highest helicopter rescues on record in this mountainous state.
The rescues happened near the summit of Torreys Peak, a 14,300-foot (4,360-meter) mountain about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of Denver. Torreys Peak is ranked variously as the 11th or 12th highest summit in Colorado and is less than 200 feet (60 meters) shorter than the state’s highest mountain, Mount Elbert. READ MORE: Tragedy as couple found dead in tent near stunning beauty spot in Scotland One man remained hospitalised in fair condition on Friday while the other was treated at a hospital and later released.
Alpine Rescue Team public information officer Jake Smith confirmed the two men are from New York state but their identities have not been released. The pair had decided to summit the mountain during a road trip. They first called for help around 5pm after getting off course on their way up a technical route.
A different route doesn’t require climbing gear or expertise. Mr Smith said: "It doesn’t sound like they had a ton of prior experience. I think it was probably .