Lightning Killed Missing Elk Hunters, Coroner Says

The two elk hunters whose disappearance sparked a six-day search were both killed by lightning, according to a county coroner.

Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko, both 25 years old, had traveled from their respective homes in North Carolina and Utah to chase elk with their bows in southern Colorado’s San Juan Wilderness Area. But when their families lost communication with them on September 11th, they were reported missing to the Conejos County Sheriff’s Office on September 12th.

That sparked a massive, six-day search of the area that involved various state and local agencies combing the rugged terrain for any sign of the missing pair.

Heavy rain had rolled in the day the hunters went missing, but investigators soon discovered backpacks and camping gear in their truck. This raised concerns for the search and rescue team since they surmised Porter and Stasko had been caught out in bad weather without the proper equipment. But it also sparked a firestorm of theories online as people wondered how two experienced hunters had disappeared within what couldn’t have been a very great distance from their truck.

That theorizing continued after the bodies of the two young men were found, but Conejos County Coroner Richard Martin declined to name a cause of death. He said neither body showed signs of trauma, but did not offer any further explanation for how they died.

But then, on September 22nd, Porter’s fiancée, Bridget Murphy, posted on Facebook, “It is OFFICIAL, that a lightning strike near them took them in an instant. They didn’t do anything wrong, they didn’t feel fear or pain. He was just trying to get back to the car as storms rolled in.”

The coroner confirmed Murphy’s account. He said neither body showed major burn marks, which indicated that they didn’t sustain a direct hit. But they were close enough to the strike that they were both killed instantly.

Condolences to the families of these two young men. We know that anything can happen when we go out into the wilderness, but we hope that being careful and smart will be enough to bring us home safely. It sounds like these guys were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and we're sure that’s incredibly difficult for their families.

Feature image via Bridget Murphy’s Facebook.

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