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Two tourists were taken to a Utah hospital after they suffered injuries from a lightning strike at the famed Horseshoe Bend in Arizona.
The female victims, aged 22 and 23, were from the Netherlands and Australia. They had been standing near the rim of the Colorado River in Arizona when the strike happened. The site, which attracts 2 million visitors per year, sits on the Utah-Arizona border.
According to a statement released by Glen Canyon National Recreation Area officials, the Classic Air Medical and City of Page Fire Department responded to assist rangers with on-scene care.
The patients, whose condition is unknown, were then flown to St George Regional Hospital in Utah by Classic Air Medical helicopters.
Authorities did not release any additional details about the case and it’s not clear what the women’s conditions are.
When visiting the parks, people should use caution while they’re exposed to outdoor areas and should be aware of changing weather conditions, the statement continued.
Thunderstorms are most severe in Arizona from mid-June through September and July through September in Utah.
“If you hear thunder, you are at risk of getting struck by lightning and should immediately seek shelter in a vehicle or building,” the National Park Service said. “Visitors are advised to use caution when visiting exposed outdoor areas and be aware of changing weather conditions.”
In July, three people were injured by a lightning strike in a Rockland County park in New York state. The individuals were having a picnic at the park when a storm quickly came in. The lightning struck them as they were trying to take a tent down.
