Two young hunters, Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko, both 25, died instantly from a lightning strike while elk hunting in Colorado’s San Juan Wilderness, according to a coroner’s report. The incident, which occurred recently, underscores the unpredictable dangers of outdoor activities, particularly in severe weather conditions. The men were found under a tree with minor burns on their bodies, as per Richard Martin, the Conejos County Coroner, who described the manner of their deaths as abrupt and sudden.
Martin explained that the fatal lightning strike left the men dead in a matter of seconds, akin to being alive one moment and not the next. “It’s like you’re alive, and now you’re not,” he said, describing the instantaneous nature of the tragedy. The men were reported missing on September 13 after failing to make contact with their families on September 11. Their satellite device, which was supposed to help locate their whereabouts, was inoperable, adding to the complexity of the search efforts.
According to the Conejos County Sheriff’s Office, Porter, from Asheville, North Carolina, and Stasko, from Salt Lake City, Utah, had been elk hunting in the San Juan Wilderness Area, west of Trujillo Meadows Reservoir. The vehicle they drove to the Los Pinos trail head was found, but no further details about their last known location or activities have been disclosed. The sheriff’s office noted that heavy rain and harsh weather conditions were significant factors in their decision to reallocate remaining funds from search and rescue operations to support the families through memorial services and financial assistance.
Lynne Runkle, Porter’s aunt, shared on the GoFundMe page she created to support the families, that the decision to re-direct funds was made following the change in circumstances and the completion of the search efforts. As of Tuesday morning, the GoFundMe page has raised nearly $79,000 for the families, indicating a strong community response and support for those affected by the incident.