Clear Creek County lightning strike killed 15-year-old Levi Strobel near the summit of Mt. Blue Sky on Sunday around 1:22 p.m. His younger brother, Jace, was injured in the same strike and airlifted to a Denver-area hospital.
Officials identified Levi on Monday. The brothers were in a five-person hiking group, and two adult men in the party suffered minor injuries and were not hospitalized.
Mt. Blue Sky response
Denver Mountain Parks rangers began lifesaving efforts on Levi after the strike. He could not be revived. The Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office said emergency crews arrived soon after receiving reports of a lightning strike involving hikers.
Levi’s family said he spent his final moments trying to protect his younger brother. Jace’s condition was not immediately available.
NOAA lightning numbers
NOAA data showed Colorado had the third-most lightning fatalities in the country over a 10-year period. Across the country, around 300 people are struck by lightning each year on average, and around 30 of those die. NOAA puts the odds of being struck by lightning at 1 in 13,000 over an average lifespan.
A GoFundMe fundraiser for the impacted family was verified by representatives with the platform. The family’s statement, released by the sheriff’s office Monday, left the youngest brother’s injury at the center of the loss Levi’s family is now facing.
