Lightning Likely Killed Two Elk Hunters in Rio Grande National Forest

Two 25-year-old elk hunters from out of state were found dead Thursday in the Rio Grande National Forest after a nearly weeklong search, and a preliminary finding by the local coroner indicates they were killed by lightning, officials and family members said. Andrew Porter of Asheville, North Carolina, and Ian Stasko of Salt Lake City, Utah, disappeared after setting out to hunt near the Rio De Los Pinos Trailhead close to the Colorado–New Mexico border; their bodies were discovered on Sept. 18, county and family posts said.

The men were last in electronic contact on the afternoon of Sept. 11, relatives said, and were reported missing the next day when they failed to check in. Their vehicle was found locked at the Rio De Los Pinos Trailhead with much of their camping gear and backpacks still inside, prompting search teams to concentrate operations from that point. Other hunters reported seeing the pair on the morning after their last ping and said the two had spoken about spotting a large bull elk before heading back out.

Search-and-rescue crews, sheriff’s deputies and dozens of civilian volunteers from multiple states scoured rugged terrain in Game Management Unit 81 beginning...