Two people were injured in a lightning strike near the top of Humphreys Peak on Wednesday.
According to Coconino County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jon Paxton, one of the victims is from Flagstaff and the other is from Canada. He did not provide their names or ages.
Paxton said a rescue helicopter was grounded because of adverse weather conditions on peaks.
As a result, search and rescue crews hiked up the steep trail and reached the party on foot at the saddle between Humphreys and Agassiz peaks, about a mile below the summit.
Paramedics assessed the pair and one of the men was able to partially walk back down the trail.
But Paxton said the other victim would likely have to be evacuated from the saddle in a wheeled basket.
It was not clear as of Wednesday afternoon whether the men were struck directly by lightning or if they were injured by flying debris.
Humphreys Peak is Arizona’s highest point at 12,633 feet. The Humphreys Peak Trail to the summit the mountain is a steep and strenuous 5-mile hike each way with an elevation gain of more than 3,400 feet.
The highest elevations of the San Francisco Peaks are notorious for heavy winds and potentially dangerous weather conditions.
