Lightning Strike Kills Backpacker in Tetons

During a large thunderstorm on the evening of Tuesday, August 2, a 22-year-old man was killed after lightning struck his tent in the Teton Wilderness. The man was camping near Enos Lake with a group of 14 backpackers, one of whom also sustained major injuries. Teton County Search and Rescue responded using the Teton Helitack helicopter, flying three rescuers into the site on Tuesday evening after the accident. Unfortunately, the patient could not be revived even after CPR was administered for over an hour. Both the deceased victim and the injured patient were air lifted out of the backcountry on Tuesday night, while two more in the party were flown out on Wednesday morning. Fatal lightning strikes are rare, with an average of 20 people killed a year in the United States.