A 59-year-old Utah man died last Saturday after a lightning strike near the summit of the east peak of American Fork Twin Peaks, the highest point in Salt Lake County. The victim, Craig Nelson, was hiking with his brother when the incident occurred.
Authorities said the brothers began their trek after riding the Snowbird tram partway up the mountain. They had completed the hike together multiple times before. Around 10:30 a.m., the pair stopped for lunch and observed the weather beginning to change. According to the surviving brother's account to investigators, they did not see any lightning and decided to continue their ascent.
Approximately one hour later, the surviving brother reached the east peak and began to descend due to worsening weather conditions. Nelson continued toward the summit. His brother reported seeing Nelson collapse about 20 feet away and believed he had been struck by lightning.
The surviving brother then made his way back toward the Snowbird tram until he could get cellphone service and call 911 shortly after noon. A Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter located Nelson near the summit, but rescuers had to wait for the storm to pass before they could safely reach him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Snowbird Ski Patrol assisted in escorting Nelson's brother off the mountain. The Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office stated that mountain weather is unpredictable and can change rapidly. Sheriff Rosie Rivera urged hikers to check forecasts before setting out and to leave exposed ridgelines and summits immediately if storms begin to approach.
The sheriff's office also advised hikers to move to lower ground, stay away from isolated trees and bodies of water, and to crouch low with their feet together if they cannot reach shelter during a storm. The investigation into Nelson's death is ongoing, with the Utah medical examiner determining the official cause of death.