Two elk hunters in Colorado were tragically killed by a lightning strike during a backcountry trip in fall 2025, after first being reported missing for about a week.

Quick Scoop

  • The incident involved two men, identified in reports as Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko, who were elk hunting in the Conejos County/Rio Grande National Forest area near the Colorado–New Mexico border.
  • They were reported missing after failing to check in with family at a predetermined time during their trip.
  • Search and rescue teams later found their bodies near a remote trailhead (Rio de los Pinos area) at high elevation, around 11,700 feet.
  • Early on, authorities said there were no obvious signs of injury or foul play, which made the case a mystery while investigations continued.
  • The Conejos County coroner eventually confirmed that a lightning strike was the cause of death, noting light burn marks and explaining that deaths from such strikes are effectively instantaneous.
  • Family statements shared publicly (including via GoFundMe and social media) said the two were likely “caught off guard” by a fast‑moving storm while trying to get back to their vehicle and that they “didn’t do anything wrong” but were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

What actually happened to the hunters in Colorado?

From what’s been reported so far:

  1. The hunters headed into the backcountry for an elk hunt in southern Colorado, in rugged, high‑elevation terrain near the Rio Grande National Forest and the Rio de los Pinos trailhead.
  1. One of them last shared his location with his fiancĂŠe in the afternoon on September 11, and they were expected to check in again later but never did.
  1. When they missed that check‑in, they were reported missing, triggering search and rescue efforts over several days.
  1. Their vehicle was found at the trailhead with wet clothes inside but without the main hunting and packing gear, suggesting they had been out on foot in bad weather and were likely trying to return.
  1. Their bodies were discovered roughly a week after they were last heard from, under or near a tree in the wilderness.
  1. Initial examinations showed no obvious trauma or signs of foul play, which is why officials initially described the situation as puzzling and said the cause of death was under investigation.
  1. After further investigation and examination, the coroner concluded they were killed by a ground lightning strike, describing only small burn marks on their bodies and emphasizing that death would have been immediate.

Why this story is getting attention

This story has spread widely online because:

  • It involves experienced outdoorsmen who appear to have followed normal hunting practices but were overtaken by rapidly changing mountain weather.
  • Lightning deaths in the U.S. are relatively rare, and two people dying together on a hunting trip makes the event especially striking and tragic.
  • Some local coverage has also highlighted questions about how search and rescue calls were handled and whether communication issues delayed the response.

You’ll also see this tied into broader discussions about:

  • Backcountry safety (especially around storms and lightning at altitude).
  • How quickly weather can turn dangerous in Colorado’s high country, even for well‑prepared people.

Forum / discussion angle

On forums and discussion sites, people are mainly talking about:

  • How sudden Colorado storms can be, with hunters and hikers sharing stories of having to rush off ridges or out of open basins when lightning moved in.
  • The difficulty of making “perfect” safety decisions in real‑time in the backcountry, especially when you’re far from shelter and storms build faster than forecast.
  • Sympathy for the families and a strong emphasis on not blaming the victims, since available reports indicate they were simply unlucky in a severe weather event.

Many commenters frame it as a reminder that even skilled, prepared people can be overwhelmed by high‑country weather, and that sometimes there really is no safe, easy option once the storm is on top of you.

What this means if you’re asking “what happened?”

So, if you’re seeing the phrase “what happened to the hunters in Colorado” in news, social media, or forums, it’s almost certainly referring to:

  • Two elk hunters in southern Colorado,
  • Who went missing during a backcountry hunt,
  • Were later found dead near a high‑elevation trailhead,
  • And whose deaths were ultimately attributed to a lightning strike, described by officials and family as instantaneous and without prolonged suffering.

TL;DR: Two elk hunters in southern Colorado went missing on a high‑country trip and were later found dead near their trailhead; the coroner determined they were killed instantly by a lightning strike during a sudden storm.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.