A hiker was struck by lightning and fell at Twin Peaks on Saturday, July 18, prompting Salt Lake County Sheriff officials and Search and Rescue crews to launch a rescue operation on the remote Wasatch summit.
The call came in shortly before 1 p.m. Saturday, according to the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office.
"We do not have confirmation on the individual's condition," SLCSO spokesman Chris Bronson told Gephardt Daily. "The operation is still ongoing, and we have no further information at this time."
The Sheriff's Office had not released an update on the victim's condition or the outcome of the rescue as of Sunday, July 19.
A high-elevation rescue
Twin Peaks, the 11,489-foot summit accessible from the Snowbird Resort area in Little Cottonwood Canyon, is the highest point in Salt Lake County. The peak sits roughly 10 miles up State Route 210 from the Sandy and Draper corridor, making it a popular destination for Wasatch hikers in both communities.
The terrain above 10,000 feet is steep, rocky, and largely above treeline, with limited helicopter landing zones. Those conditions typically complicate high-elevation rescues in the Wasatch.
Monsoon season brings daily lightning risk
The strike occurred during Utah's monsoon season, when afternoon thunderstorms build rapidly over the Wasatch peaks. Hiking guides for Twin Peaks, including one published by the Deseret News, explicitly warn against attempting the summit when storms are forecast.
Lightning sparked the 61-acre Buck Basin Fire in Wasatch County on Monday, July 13, one of several lightning-caused blazes across Utah in recent days. The monsoon pattern typically persists through early August, according to the National Weather Service.
The Draper Herald will update this story as the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office releases more information.
