Search-and-rescue crews from the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office spent Saturday combing the rugged slopes above Little Cottonwood Canyon after a report that a person had been struck by lightning and tumbled down a mountainside near Twin Peaks. Teams pushed their search into the evening in steep, rocky terrain as afternoon storms rolled through the Wasatch Range.
According to FOX13, the sheriff’s office received a call Saturday that someone had been hit by lightning near Twin Peaks, and responders, including Salt Lake County Search and Rescue, were dispatched to the area. Initial reports indicated the person fell from the ridgeline, and officials had not released the victim’s identity or condition at the time.
The incident was republished by The Salt Lake Tribune, which reported that searchers were concentrating in the Twin Peaks area while crews scoured steep slopes. Details remained limited as rescuers continued their work.
Terrain and weather complicate the effort
The upper Cottonwood canyons are steep and technical, and rescues there often require rope teams and slow, careful ground approaches when weather keeps aircraft grounded. As KSL has reported, helicopters and hoists are frequently used when conditions allow, while how weather and logistics can slow canyon operations has been a recurring theme in recent Hoodline coverage. Those limits can make locating and reaching injured people slower and more dangerous.
Lightning safety for hikers
The National Weather Service notes that lightning is a leading summer hazard and advises hikers to avoid ridgelines and summits, move to lower ground or enclosed shelter, and wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before returning to exposed areas. Afternoon storms in the Wasatch can build quickly, so checking forecasts and leaving exposed terrain early in the day are standard safety practices.
Salt Lake County officials did not immediately release further details, and initial reports said the search was ongoing Saturday night. Anyone with information was asked to contact the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office, according to initial coverage by The Salt Lake Tribune.
