Photographer captured lightning close to Mount Timpanogos as hiker was killed in storm

OREM, Utah (KUTV) — A photographer watching thunderstorms transfer throughout Mount Timpanogos early Friday morning captured a lightning strike from the bottom of the mountain — unaware {that a} 19-year-old hiker had been critically injured close to the summit.

The Utah County Sheriff’s Office mentioned a bunch of hikers had reached the summit when a big thunderstorm moved in. They sought shelter inside a small construction close to the summit, the place lightning struck. Multiple folks had been injured, and the 19-year-old man later died.

Search and rescue crews had been known as round 6 a.m. and labored with different businesses to offer medical help and evacuate these affected in extreme climate.

MORE: 19-year-old killed in lightning strike on Mount Timpanogos, a number of others injured

Taylor Ehat mentioned he awoke early and headed to one in all his favourite pictures places close to Mill Canyon, a number of miles from the Mount Timpanogos trailhead.

“I’ve been up to this spot near Mill Canyon several times, and it’s one of my favorite places to go shoot,” Ehat mentioned. “Whenever there’s a storm that comes in, I love to get up there.”

When he arrived earlier than dawn, Ehat mentioned he might see headlamps from hikers on the mountain.

“When I first arrived about 6 in the morning, I could see there were headlamps on Timpanogos,” he mentioned.

Ehat watched storm cells transfer via American Fork Canyon and throughout the Heber and Deer Creek areas. At about 6:20 a.m., he captured what he known as the biggest lightning strike he noticed that morning.

“The very first photo I set up to take was this shot that I got — the lightning striking at like 6:20 a.m.,” Ehat mentioned. “The whole day I’ve been showing it off, and then I learned the unfortunate news that somebody was killed.”

He mentioned the information modified the way in which he seen the picture.

“It’s very tragic and makes me very grateful,” mentioned Ehat, who has a daughter across the similar age because the sufferer who lately deliberate to do the identical hike however canceled resulting from climate. “It hits close to home. I’m very sad that this individual lost their life.”

Ehat mentioned the lightning didn’t seem to strike instantly the place he was standing, but it surely was shut sufficient to make him uneasy — notably after seeing hikers close to the summit.

“There was a moment that I’m like, ‘Okay, that’s pretty close,’” he mentioned. “When I did see there were hikers up there, I was very nervous for that. I was like, ‘That’s not good.’”

The photographer mentioned storms can construct rapidly on that facet of the mountain.

“When that lightning gets involved, it’s a whole other ball game,” Ehat mentioned.

He mentioned his ideas are with the sufferer’s household and the opposite hikers injured within the strike.

“My heart goes out to them and his family,” Ehat mentioned. “It makes it very real — and how powerful nature can be.”

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