Photographer Captures Lightning Placing Mountain in Storm That Killed 19-Yr-Outdated Hiker

A photographer captured the second lightning struck a mountain — unaware that the highly effective storm had simply claimed the lifetime of a 19-year-old hiker close by.

The teenage male was killed and several other others had been injured on Friday after being struck by lightning on the summit of the height of Mount Timpanogos in Utah County.

When the group reached the summit, a thunderstorm had moved into the realm and compelled them to hunt shelter inside a widely known lookout spot generally known as the “Tin Shack” atop the height of the 11,752-foot Mount Timpanogos. The steel construction was struck by lightning resulting in the hiker’s demise, according to a statement by the Utah County Sheriff’s Office.

Meanwhile, on the foot of the mountain, photographer Taylor Ehat was watching the storm sweep throughout Mount Timpanogos from beneath when he captured a bolt of lightning placing the mountain — the identical storm that had killed the 19-year-old hiker on the summit.

Speaking to KUTV, Ehat says he had gotten up early that morning and pushed to a favourite spot close to Mill Canyon, situated 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 says. “Whenever there’s a storm that comes in, I love to get up there.”

Ehat arrived earlier than dawn and says he may already make out the lights of hikers making their approach alongside the mountain.

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

‘How Powerful Nature Can Be’

As Ehat tracked the storm cells shifting throughout Mount Timpanogos, he captured what he described as the biggest lightning strike he noticed that morning at round 6:20 a.m. At the time, he thought-about it a outstanding {photograph} and spent the day displaying it to others, however studying that the storm had killed a 19-year-old hiker gave the picture a wholly totally different and heartbreaking significance he may by no means have anticipated.

“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 tells KUTV. “The whole day I’ve been showing it off, and then I learned the unfortunate news that somebody was killed.”

“It’s very tragic and makes me very grateful,” Ehat provides. “It hits close to home. I’m very sad that this individual lost their life.”

The tragedy struck notably near house for Ehat, whose daughter is across the sufferer’s age and had just lately thought-about taking the identical hike earlier than canceling due to the climate. The photographer says his ideas are with the sufferer’s household and those that had been injured within the lightning strike.

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

Taylor Ehat’s images will be discovered on Instagram and his website.