A single bolt of lightning struck nine visitors at Yellowstone National Park who were waiting to see Old Faithful erupt.
While several complained of minor injuries, there were no initial reports of serious complications from the strike Tuesday afternoon, park officials said Wednesday.
According to rangers, all nine were either on the boardwalk or on walkways around Old Faithful Geyser when a small thunderstorm cell produced a single lightning bolt. Two people were on the asphalt walkway between the Old Faithful Lodge and the boardwalk that circles the geyser.
Bystanders had started CPR on a 57-year-old man, who was conscious and breathing when rangers arrived. He was taken to the Old Faithful Clinic, and then transported by an Air Idaho Rescue helicopter to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls. His current condition was not available as of late Wednesday morning.
An 18-year-old male patient complained of shortness of breath. He was also taken by ambulance to the Old Faithful Clinic, where we has treated and released.
Six others with minor injuries had gathered next to the building under an overhang to get out of the rain and hail that was coming down at the time. They had various complaints of shortness of breath, tingling, or numbness. They were all taken to the Old Faithful Clinic where they were treated and released.
A ninth individual who walked into the Old Faithful Ranger Station and reported being struck by lightning did not seek medical attention.
Hundreds of visitors witnessed the incident, as they were awaiting the next eruption of the famous geyser.
Comments
Of the 9 people struck 6 of my family including me! We were smiling for a picture and then boom! next thing you know we were on the ground yards apart. It was not cool then i can assure you that...but now looking back at it, its a cool story to tell.
My family and I were 6 of the 9 who were struck, and we were right by the man who needed cpr and further medical attention. It was a very scary experience. My family and i were taking a picture huddled under a tarp because it just started to hail. We were struck and when i opened my eyes, my family which i was holding, was then yards away from me laying off the board walk. My boyfriend was the 18 yr old male with shortness of breath. It was extremely scary and surreal. But i am so thankful that everyone survived. Oh and the article says it happened while we were waiting for old faithful to erupt but that is incorrect, i promise you. It was about 15 minutes after old faithful went off, and that's why there was no one on the benches hit....if you have any questions i would love to answer them! Danielle, lightning survivor of Yellowstone park on June 1st 2010 at 3:30 pm
This is during the same season that eleven mountain climbers were struck while climbing the nearby Grand Teton. What a crazy season it was in Wyoming. I heard one of the people in Yellowstone suffered an extra shock from her medical alerts system she was wearing around her neck. This kind of stuff is so coincidental and crazy.
I was there when it happened, amazing, but we went into the lodge for some food as soon as the eruption ended. (Not Old Faithful Lodge, the other one that's closer.) We had just sat down when we heard the hail on the roof; it was very loud. We ate quickly and I walked back on the boardwalk to get the car at OF Lodge. I had to sort of skate and slide since the walk was covered with hail. I returned quickly to pick up my GF, and while she was waiting she saw paramedics trying with some difficulty to push a stretcher on the hail-covered walkway. I saw the paramedic vehicle as I entered in front of the lodge to pick her up and commented when she got into the car, and she told me about the guys pushing the stretcher. Neither of us knew at the time that there was a lightning strike. I saw it first the next day in, of all places, the little state-by-state news clips in USA Today.
I'm very glad you and the rest of your family are fine. Weird, but I feel sort of a connection now that I've seen your comment. I mean, really, what are the odds that we both were there?
I was one of the nine struck this day, we did not sue lol. It is however one of my "cool" stories to tell