A late-afternoon outing on a Superior walking path turned into a life-or-death emergency on April 9, when a woman was struck by lightning on the trail behind LaSalle Street. She remains unidentified and in critical condition. Bystanders started CPR on the spot before medical crews arrived and ultimately airlifted her to a Denver-area hospital for specialized care.
What officials say
According to a news release from the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched at about 5:39 p.m. to the 1000 block of LaSalle Street after reports of a loud boom and a woman found on the ground. She was discovered lying beneath a tree that had been struck by lightning. The woman was unresponsive when deputies arrived, and neighbors had already begun CPR in a scramble to keep her alive.
Scene and response
First responders reached the trail to find the woman without a detectable pulse and not breathing, Denver Gazette reporting states. Resuscitation efforts brought back a faint pulse, which progressed to a regular heart rate and independent breathing.
Mountain View Fire Rescue provided advanced medical care at the scene. The woman was first transported to a Boulder County hospital, then airlifted to a Denver-metro facility for further treatment.
Identification efforts
The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office reports that the woman was not carrying identification and that her cell phone was so badly damaged it could not be used. Fingerprint checks and comparisons with missing-person records have not turned up a match.
Officials describe her as a white woman, about 5-foot-5 and roughly 120 pounds, with red or auburn hair. She was wearing a green running shirt and black striped running shorts. The incident is logged as case 26-01604, and anyone who may know who she is is asked to call 303-441-4444.
Lightning risks and first aid
Lightning does not wait for peak summer to cause trouble. The National Weather Service notes that lightning strikes the United States millions of times each year and that 20 lightning-related deaths were recorded nationwide in 2025.
Medical and emergency-planning experts emphasize that immediate CPR and clear, practiced emergency plans can make the difference between life and death for lightning-strike victims, according to guidance from the National Athletic Trainers' Association.
Agencies on scene
The response to the Superior trail incident included the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Mountain View Fire Rescue and the Louisville Fire Protection District, as reported by the Denver Gazette.
Anyone who recognizes the description of the woman or has information that could help identify her is urged to contact the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office at 303-441-4444 and reference case 26-01604.
