Photographer Taylor Ehat Captures Lightning Strike on Mount Timpanogos During Storm That Killed 19-Year-Old Hiker
On Friday, a 19-year-old male hiker lost his life, and several others sustained injuries when lightning struck the peak of Mount Timpanogos in Utah County. As a thunderstorm approached, the group took refuge in the "Tin Shack," a prominent metal lookout at the 11,752-foot summit, as reported by the Utah County Sheriff's Office. Photographer Taylor Ehat, positioned several miles away near Mill Canyon, captured the lightning strike around 6:20 a.m. He had arrived before dawn and noticed headlamps on the mountain at approximately 6 a.m. Ehat expressed his sorrow, stating that the tragic news gave his earlier photograph a poignant meaning. His thoughts are with the victim’s family and the injured, noting the personal impact of the event. Ehat's work is available on Instagram and his website.
Key facts
- A 19-year-old male hiker was killed and several others injured by lightning at the summit of Mount Timpanogos in Utah County on Friday.
- The group sheltered inside the "Tin Shack," a metal lookout structure atop the 11,752-foot peak, which was struck by lightning, per the Utah County Sheriff's Office.
- Photographer Taylor Ehat captured a lightning bolt striking the mountain at about 6:20 a.m. from near Mill Canyon, several miles from the trailhead.
- Ehat arrived before sunrise and saw hikers' headlamps on the mountain around 6 a.m.
- Ehat told KUTV he showed the photo throughout the day before learning of the death, which gave the image a heartbreaking significance.
- Ehat said his daughter is around the victim's age and had recently considered the same hike before canceling because of the weather.
- Ehat expressed condolences to the victim's family and the injured, saying the event shows "how powerful nature can be."
- Ehat's photography can be found on Instagram and his website.
Entities
Artists
- Taylor Ehat
Institutions
- Utah County Sheriff's Office
- KUTV
- PetaPixel
Locations
- Mount Timpanogos
- Utah County
- Utah
- United States
- Mill Canyon