Two Boy Scouts from the Salt Lake City area were struck by lightning as leaders tried to get their troop to safety during lightning storm that swept through Scofield on Wednesday.
One of the scouts was pronounced dead at the scene, the second was transported by ambulance to Utah Valley Hospital.
According to Carbon County Sheriff James Cordova, the two 12-year-old boys were struck by lightning at the Scofield Boy Scout Camp near Madsen Bay at approximately 10:50 a.m. Lifeflight, emergency medical personnel and local law enforcement were dispatched.
Cordova said, from what he understood, the storm came in quickly, and leaders were trying to get the scouts into a sheltered area as the two were struck. The bolt of lightening hit both boys, knocking the scout who survived unconscious.
“When he came to, he saw that his friend was unresponsive and called for help,” Cordova said. “CPR was administered immediately by troop leaders and the parents who were with the group.”
The 12-year-old scout was pronounced dead at 12:35 p.m. The boy’s names were not immediately released.
According to reports from KSL and the Deseret News, the second boy did not realize he had been struck until almost 45 minutes later. He was taken to the hospital with burns.
The death is the second lightning-related fatality in the area in just three days. Cordova encouraged locals to understand that monsoonal storms come in quickly, and people need to seek shelter as soon as possible.
Check back often for updates to the story as more information becomes available.