2 New Yorkers struck by lightning while hiking on Colorado peak were saved in record-high state helicopter rescue
Two New York men struck by lightning while hiking a Colorado peak were airlifted to safety in what is believed to be the highest-altitude helicopter rescue ever recorded in the state.
The duo — who haven't been identified — called for help around 5 p.m. Thursday after getting off course while attempting to climb Torreys Peak, one of the state's highest summits at 14,300 feet.
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'It didn't sound like they had a ton of experience,' Alpine Rescue Team spokesperson Jack Smith said, noting that the pair decided to summit the peak during a road trip through the Centennial State.
3 The men called for help while attempting to climb Torreys Peak in Colorado.
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'I think it was probably just a lack of awareness.'
Emergency crews had just steered the men back on course when they were zapped by lightning minutes later — leaving one hiker unresponsive and in critical condition.
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About 30 rescuers ascended the mountain while a Colorado National Guard Black Hawk chopper hoisted the injured man off the peak at 14,200 feet.
He was then rushed to the burn unit of a Denver hospital, where he remains in fair condition.
3 Alpine Rescue Team at the scene after two New Yorker men were struck by lightning on Torreys Peak.
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3 About 30 rescuers ascended the mountain to help the wounded men.
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The helicopter returned around midnight to rescue the other wounded man, briefly touching down on the mountain before he was treated and released from a nearby hospital.
Emergency personnel believe the daring rescue shattered the state's previous record of 13,700 feet — with such missions a challenge due to thinning air reducing a chopper's lift at higher altitudes.
The Black Hawk's max ceiling is around 19,000 feet.
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Torreys Peak stands as the 11th-highest summit in Colorado.
With Post wires
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