A 19-year-old hiker died Friday, Sept. 18, after lightning struck a shelter near the Mount Timpanogos summit where he and eight others had taken cover from a thunderstorm.

The Utah County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue Team responded around 6 a.m. after the group encountered severe weather near the summit, the Deseret News reported. Nine hikers in two separate groups were near the top of the mountain when the storm moved in, according to Sgt. Garett Dutson of the Utah County Sheriff's Office.

The hikers sought cover inside a small structure known as the "Tin Shack," according to the Daily Herald. Lightning hit the structure, critically injuring the 19-year-old man. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The sheriff's office has not released the man's name, citing ongoing family notifications and an investigation. Dutson said the cause of death remains under investigation.

Four other hikers made their way down the mountain on their own with minor injuries and were taken to a local hospital for evaluation, Dutson said. Multiple agencies assisted with the rescue, which took longer than usual because the storm was still active.

The fatality was the second time this year a hiker died from a lightning strike in the Wasatch Mountains. A 59-year-old man was killed near the summit of American Fork Twin Peaks on July 18, according to ABC4.

Mount Timpanogos is one of the most popular hikes in Utah County. Four days before the fatal strike, Sgt. Dallin Turner of the sheriff's search and rescue team told KUTV that people get into trouble on the mountain "quite regularly."

"It is a strenuous hike, and people like to be able to say that they've hiked, made it to the summit," Turner said on Sept. 14. "And unfortunately, sometimes they make it and don't make it all the way down on their own just due to injury or circumstances."

The sheriff's office said small structures like sheds and shelters do not provide adequate protection from lightning. The safest options are fully enclosed buildings or hard-topped vehicles. The sheriff's office, citing the National Weather Service, advised hikers to check forecasts before heading out and to leave exposed ridgelines and peaks immediately when thunder is heard.

The sheriff's office said it will release additional information as the investigation is completed.