Two men climbing a mountain in Colorado were struck by lightning. They were rescued by helicopter during the highest rescue mission in the mountain area.
The men from New York were struck by lightning on Thursday evening at an altitude of more than four thousand meters, writes AP News. They were both injured. One of them was in critical condition.
About thirty rescuers climbed the mountain, while another team went to the area by helicopter. The seriously injured man had to be lifted from the mountain with a crane.
The man had, among other things, extreme burns and was immediately taken to the hospital. Around midnight, the helicopter flew back for the other wounded man. He is now back home.
According to the rescue team, this is a record-high mission in the area. Due to the thin air, helicopters lose power as they fly higher.
The men had previously called the emergency services during their walk because they were lost. “It didn’t sound like they had much experience,” said a spokesperson for the Alpine Rescue Team. They found their way again, but later things went wrong again.