VIDEO: A northern Arizona hiker who was struck by lightning at the summit of Humphreys Peak says he and another man are alive today only because they were able to keep each other conscious, warm and calm while waiting hours for rescue in brutal weather.
Scott Courtright, a Flagstaff resident and experienced hiker, had set out before sunrise Wednesday to hike the 12,633-foot peak during a furlough from his federal job. He reached the summit after a clear three-and-a-half-hour climb and was drinking coffee when another hiker, John, arrived. Within minutes, without sound or warning, lightning struck both men as they stood beside the summit sign above the tree line. “There was no noise, I just woke up on my back, unable to move,” Courtright said.
Courtright said he blacked out for about 15 minutes. When he woke up, he said he was paralyzed, unable to move his arm believing it was broken. The other hiker was in worse condition, severely burned and nearly stripped of clothing from the strike, Courtright said. Courtright was burned on his feet, wrist and thigh but remained mobile.
