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GARFIELD COUNTY — A Garfield county man and his dog were killed Saturday night when a tree they were sheltering under was struck by lightning.
24-year-old Jesse King was fishing at Row Lake, on the west side of Boulder Mountain, with his dog while his wife camped nearby. At approximately 7:00 p.m., a storm hit the area, and King decided to wait out the storm under a nearby tree.
"King and his dog sought shelter from the storm under a tree, but lightning struck the tree and King and his dog were killed instantly," said Becki Bronson, spokesperson for the Garfield County Sheriff's office. "They were both found by King's wife, who happened to be camping nearby at their campsite."
King and his wife, Maddy Rowland King, had been married for only one year.
Bronson called the event "tragic" and stressed that "inside shelter is by far your best bet."
The NOAA recommends that when camping in an open area during a storm, folks should avoid open fields, stay away from tall isolated trees, camp in a valley or low ravine and to stay away from water and wet things and metal objects like poles or fences.
Contributing: Marc Giauque
