Althouse: "A 19-year-old man died on Friday in a lightning storm while huddled with nine other people inside a metal structure atop a mountain in Utah...."

September 20, 2026

"A 19-year-old man died on Friday in a lightning storm while huddled with nine other people inside a metal structure atop a mountain in Utah...."

"The shack, a well-known spot atop the peak, was built out of steel in 1927 as a lookout house.... Mount Timpanogos... is more than 11,740 feet tall.... Hikers climb on an exposed ridge line to reach the peak... leaving them few places to take shelter until a storm passes.... People should... refrain from touching materials that can conduct electricity, such as metal, utility lines, water and plumbing... Small, exposed structures cannot protect a person from lightning...."

The NYT reports.

42 comments:

Interested Bystander said...: Shocking way to go.; 9/20/26, 10:41 AM
Jamie said...: I did a summer internship in the Sierra Nevada, collecting soil samples for a Colorado gold mining company that wanted to develop an area where an old underground silver mine had been. It was STEEP - when my boss showed me the field area, he took me up onto the treeless ridge at the top, peered down at Hwy 89 far below, and mused, "Ya could pretty much piss on the road from here." Then he glanced at me and corrected himself: "Well, *I* could."

Anyway. Each day I drove my truck to the top of that ridge and scrambled down the slope in search of actual bedrock to sample, filled a quart bag, labeled it, labeled it on my topo map, dropped it in the spot, moved on. I could collect only about 8 samples before lunch (I suppose I could've collected more, but that's all I could carry, 40-50 pounds of rocks along with my other gear, and still make it up the slope, which was the next step - take the morning's samples to the truck). I'd eat lunch at my truck and head out for another round in the afternoon.

The Sierra are prone to popup afternoon thunderstorms. So, there I'd be, usually with most or all of the afternoon's load in my backpack, slung about with a couple of rock hammers and a big mallet, on my way back to the top of the highest ridge in the area as a thunderstorm formed around me, unable to make it all the way to the truck in time to get those four tires between me and the ground. Many days, being pelted with rain, I dropped my backpack and hammers against a tree trunk or something and hustled downslope to whatever rock overhang I could find to wait it out. It was scary sometimes.; 9/20/26, 10:55 AM
Peachy+2 said...: In CO - atop high peaks, we have make-shift rock walls to help find cover. not very tall and made mostly to help shield hikers from massive wind.
Above tree line, all bets are off. It's best to make sure you check the weather forecast and be down prior to any storms. Also, if the weather isn't cooperating, change your plans.
Also, this is based on experience, the first time a hear a crack of thunder and see approaching dark clouds, I stop and turn around. But really - pushing it to that point isn't ideal.

A metal shelter? yikes.; 9/20/26, 10:57 AM
Original Mike said...: On a backpacking trip in Montana we chose to spend the night on top of a mountain on the continental divide above tree line for stargazing. Predawn a thunderstorm developed on the divide and we watched it march toward our location. Decided we had to get off the ridge line and started down in the dark. Fun times.; 9/20/26, 11:02 AM
donald said...: The jokes write themselves.; 9/20/26, 11:03 AM
MartyH said...: They were in a lightning rod-the tallest local point with the least resistance to ground. It may have been the best of many bad options, though.; 9/20/26, 11:06 AM
Rustygrommet said...: 10 hamsters in a cage and only one died? People should not be wandering around in the wilderness.; 9/20/26, 11:15 AM
Iman said...: People in a metal structure, in a lightning storm. What could go wrong.

I have a memory of a Summer spent with some cousins in Orem as a pre-teen and a hot, grueling hike up the mountain to the Timp’s cave, which was so cool inside… felt like walk-in freezer.; 9/20/26, 11:19 AM
gilbar said...: i'm guessing/supposing that the one that died was touching/leaning on a wall? I'd think that ones that lived were in the middle of the hut.. but 10 people is a LOT to have in a hut; 9/20/26, 11:26 AM
boatbuilder said...: If the shack is "well-known" and has been up there for 99 years, why hasn't anyone else been struck, why isn't there a lightning rod, and why isn't there a sign saying "This Structure is Made of Steel, is Not Grounded and is Not a Safe Place to Shelter From Lightning?"*

I think the poor kid just did what most 19-year-olds would do under the circumstances--and what, apparently, the other 9 people with him did. Wrong place at the wrong time.

*Note the placement of the question mark.; 9/20/26, 11:29 AM
Josephbleau said...: But if you are inside a metal container, a faraday cage, according to Gauss law the electrical potential is zero inside. The building must have been poorly bonded or did not have a metal floor.; 9/20/26, 11:32 AM
Quaestor said...: A small metal building with a properly installed lightning rod atop can protect people from thunderstorms, but that would remind people of the dead white males who founded this nation, and we can't have that, can we?

Those lightning safety rules are laughable. Those who follow NYT's advice will taking shelter under trees, which might be a good thing in the long run.; 9/20/26, 11:33 AM
loudogblog said...: Lightning rods were invented over 250 years ago. It's depressing that, in almost a century, it didn't occur to anyone to put one on that building. I actually had an aunt that got hit by lightening three times. They used to refer to her as, "Crazy Aunt Alice."; 9/20/26, 11:41 AM
RobinGoodfellow said...: “… unable to make it all the way to the truck in time to get those four tires between me and the ground.“

It’s not the four tires. It’s the metal truck body that protects you.

The lightning travels two miles through the air … the final twelve inches between the chassis and the ground don’t make a difference.; 9/20/26, 11:58 AM
RobinGoodfellow said...: “Iman said...
People in a metal structure, in a lightning storm. What could go wrong.”

Them metal shed should have acted as a Faraday cage. In fact, it did so for the other nine. I suspect the one guy was touching a wall.; 9/20/26, 12:01 PM
Gerda Sprinchorn said...: I did not expect so many first person accounts of relevant adventures. A lot of commenters have led full lives.; 9/20/26, 12:03 PM
Original Mike said...: As others have said, being in a metal building should be safe, assuming you're not touching the wall.; 9/20/26, 12:03 PM
Earnest Prole said...: In the days before handheld weather forecasts I was occasionally caught in surprise electrical storms while hiking high up, including on the continental divide in Wyoming and on the flanks of Mt Williamson in California. Each time I felt the nausea of realizing my life was entirely in the hands of my maker.; 9/20/26, 12:05 PM
Big Mike said...: Have the nine who survived thought about buying lottery tickets?; 9/20/26, 12:25 PM
n.n said...: A perfect storm.; 9/20/26, 12:28 PM
bagoh20 said...: A group of people in a lightning storm can pick one person to keep watch, and that person can simply yell "DUCK!" at the appropriate time to keep everyone safe. A short team meeting should precede this strategy with an explanation that "DUCK!" does not mean look up at the waterfowl.; 9/20/26, 12:29 PM
Lazarus said...: What about the other nine? Are they undead?; 9/20/26, 12:30 PM
bagoh20 said...: My expertise has kept me lightning-free my whole life.; 9/20/26, 12:31 PM
Randomizer said...: RobinGoodfellow explains it. A metal building could conduct the charge while protecting the occupants. It should be well-grounded, and stay away from the metal.; 9/20/26, 12:34 PM
Iman said...: I had a high school classmate whose father was one of the developers around Lake Havasu back in the late 60s/early 70s. Classmate Ron was working construction there and his crew had a ball team (baseball or softball, I forget).

They were out on the field (Ron playing in the infield) in the early 70s when lightning struck and traversed around that infield. I can’t recall if anyone died, but do recall Ron had a ring of keys in his pocket that welded together.; 9/20/26, 12:44 PM
bagoh20 said...: If you want to get the info and not deal with the NYT, just ask Grok to read it for you. Why do I use A.I.?
"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."; 9/20/26, 12:45 PM
Iman said...: I just researched the incident, it happened Spring of 1973 and the lightning struck and killed the pitcher, then traveled around the infield, striking each player. My classmate was playing 2nd base.; 9/20/26, 12:53 PM
Iman said...: Sweet Jaysus!!!

“The Incident: During the top half of the sixth inning, a massive lightning bolt—described by witnesses as a "column of fire two feet wide"—struck the pitcher John Wade, 19, directly on the head as he was winding up for a pitch.”

Bringin’ teh smoke!; 9/20/26, 12:54 PM
hanuman_prodigious_leaper said...: Is much more grounding possible for steel cage on rock? Better conductor?!; 9/20/26, 1:01 PM
Vance said...: According to the local news, at least 4 others of this group had to be medivaced. It was pretty bad. I think they just got caught up: the weather that night here in valley (I live in the same valley this mountain looks over) was pretty bad. The real problem was deciding to hike Mt. Timpanogas that night. Once they were up there, likely this shelter was the best of some really bad options. This mountain is high. I think it's close to 13,000 feet so there isn't a whole lot of air between you and the clouds slinging lightning. It's above the tree line, too, at least up that high.

Poor kid. But at least now he is going to be voting Democrat from now on.; 9/20/26, 1:32 PM
Jamie said...: Robin Goodfellow, thank you for the explanation! All my life I'd just heard that staying inside a vehicle if, for instance, a live power line fell on it was your safest course, and this and that about the rubber tires. And as you may surmise from my story, I was a geologist... so don't ask me nothing about E-lectricity.; 9/20/26, 1:41 PM
bagoh20 said...: " the lightning struck and killed the pitcher, then traveled around the infield, striking each player."

So, it was a home run then.; 9/20/26, 1:48 PM
Rabel said...: "Lightning rods were invented over 250 years ago. It's depressing that, in almost a century, it didn't occur to anyone to put one on that building."

The building is a lightening rod.

I've been near two large lightening strikes and the blast force that accompanied each would have been rough to take - Faraday cage or not.; 9/20/26, 2:31 PM
Rabel said...: It's also a lightning rod.; 9/20/26, 2:34 PM
Fred Drinkwater said...: Camped on a knoll in the Sierra at about 9000'. An afternoon t-storm cell was coming right over the tent site. We all hustled down slope into a small but deep depression (there was no flood risk, at all). Many lightning strikes 100-200 yards away. Pretty exciting for 20 minutes.; 9/20/26, 2:50 PM
Kirk Parker said...: boatbuilder,

Yes I noticed the misplaced question mark.; 9/20/26, 3:38 PM
Kirk Parker said...: hanuman_prodigious_leaper

Rock is a fairly poor conductor.; 9/20/26, 3:41 PM
hanuman_prodigious_leaper said...: ... So, it was a home run then.

Or bases on balls?; 9/20/26, 4:23 PM
Jim at said...: *then traveled around the infield, striking each player. *

Like the last scene in Raiders Of the Lost Ark ....; 9/20/26, 5:01 PM
RAH said...: Lightening is dangerous. AS a 13 year old we were out trail riding and a storm came up . This was around the Potomac River. We put the horses out in pasture and waited out the storm in the barn. A horse stuck around the metal gate and lightening struck. People ran out to try to get the heart working but no good. Nice horse,

Another incident was my son at Boy Scout Jamboree. Extremely hot around 105 degree and storm came up in the afternoon.. One troop was getting up a large circular tent with center pole in a field , right under a power line. Parents died right them One father saved by his son who grabbed and did compressions. That was the total of adults for that troop from Alaska. The Scouts did not want to go home so Utah troop took them in. Another scout died from lightening strike in a field.; 9/20/26, 5:45 PM
Oso Negro said...: The advice if you were caught in a storm up high with no shelter was to crouch in as close to a ball as you could do on top of you backpack. Has that changed?; 9/20/26, 8:49 PM
MadisonMan said...: What a terrible thing for the dead man's family. I've been caught outside walking in Madison during a lightning storm. It's not a pleasant feeling. To be on a mountain ridge? Yikes.; 9/21/26, 10:57 AM