Conejos County, Colorado — Conejos County Coroner Richard Martin confirmed Monday afternoon that two elk hunters found dead last week were killed by a lightning strike, bringing tragic closure to a case that had puzzled investigators and the hunting community.
Andrew Porter, 25, of Asheville, North Carolina, and Ian Stasko, 25, of Salt Lake City, Utah, were discovered September 18 by Colorado Search and Rescue teams after going missing during their elk hunting expedition. The hunters were reported overdue on September 13, with their last known communication coming from the Los Pinos trailhead area on September 11.
Martin told The Colorado Sun that the hunters were found below a tree and had slight burns on their bodies, physical evidence that helped confirm the lightning strike as the cause of death. The discovery ended a week-long search effort that had gripped the local hunting community.
The coroner emphasized that while the preliminary cause of death has been determined, the official autopsy report will not be available for eight to 10 weeks as standard forensic procedures are completed.
This tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the weather dangers hunters face in Colorado’s high country, where sudden thunderstorms and lightning strikes pose serious risks to outdoor enthusiasts. The Conejos County tragedy highlights Colorado’s particularly high lightning danger, especially during late summer hunting seasons when afternoon thunderstorms are common.
The hunting community has rallied around the families of both young men, who were described as experienced outdoorsmen. Their deaths underscore the importance of weather awareness and lightning safety protocols for hunters venturing into Colorado’s wilderness areas.
This is a developing hunting news story from Hunting Magazine. Additional details will be reported as they become available.