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Amid storms, 4 people rescued off Humphreys Peak. 2 had been struck by lightning

An arial photograph of Huphreys Peak mountain in northern Arizona and the surrounding, snowy forest
Claire Caulfield/KJZZ

Rescue crews recovered four hikers off Humphreys Peak near Flagstaff after struggling with stormy conditions Wednesday.

Two of those hikers had been struck by lightning on the summit of Arizona’s highest peak.

One hiker was able to make their way down after being struck, but the second hiker had to be rescued above 10,500 feet.

Dangerous weather reportedly prevented Search and Rescue from using aircraft, so they drove up a utility road but eventually had to hike in on foot.

Jon Paxton with the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office said the injured hikers were alert and conscious but sustained apparent burns. Both went to the hospital.

It's not clear if they were struck directly or were hit by lightning traveling through the ground.

Paxton said rescuers simultaneously had to save two boys who got lost after being scared off the main trail by a bear.

Everybody was off the mountain by 7 p.m.

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Greg Hahne started as a news intern at KJZZ in 2020 and returned as a field correspondent in 2021. He learned his love for radio by joining Arizona State University's Blaze Radio, where he worked on the production team.