2 Tourists Injured in Lightning Strike at Horseshoe Bend

Women were airlifted to Utah hospital
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 14, 2024 3:15 PM CDT
2 Tourists Injured in Lightning Strike at Horseshoe Bend
The Colorado River flows at Horseshoe Bend in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.   (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson, File)

Two tourists were airlifted to a hospital in Utah after a lightning strike at one of America's most scenic spots on Monday. The National Park Service says the two women—a 22-year-old from the Netherlands and a 23-year-old Australian—were struck by lightning as they stood near the rim of Horseshoe Bend in the Arizona part of the Glen Canyon National Recreational Area. The NPS said both women "sustained injuries" but did not disclose how severe the injuries were, Fox News reports.

The police department in Page, Arizona, said it responded to the scene, along with the NPS and the local fire department, ABC15 reports. "A severe storm was dropping heavy rain in the area and many people got caught in the rainstorm at Horseshoe Bend," the police department said in a Facebook post. The NPS warned: "Visitors are advised to use caution while visiting exposed outdoor areas and be aware of changing weather conditions. Thunderstorms are most frequent and severe during the monsoon season, which is typically mid-June through September in Arizona and July through September in Utah." (Last week, the "Toilet Bowl" formation in the recreational area collapsed.)

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