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1 Dead, 3 People Hurt In Lightning Strike In Chaffee County

SALIDA, Colo. (CBS4)- One person was killed and three others were hurt in a lightning strike in Chaffee County on Friday afternoon.

A 31-year-old female was killed by the lightning strike. A male was airlifted to Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs with serious injuries.

The lightning strike happened along the Denny Creek Trail on Mount Yale on Friday about 2 p.m.

mount yale lightning strike chaffee county
(credit: CBS)

Mount Yale is one of Colorado's 14ers in the Collegiate Peaks in the Sawatch Range near Buena Vista.

Search and rescue crews took about two-and-a-half hours to reach the hikers because of the strenuous and steep terrain.

The Flight for Life helicopter was delayed due to several storms in the area and the helicopter had to wait out the adverse weather conditions at the airport.

The other two struck by lightning walked out of the wilderness for treatment. They were evaluated by medics at the trailhead and released.

The National Weather Service in Pueblo said there were two cloud-to-ground lightning strikes in the area.

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