Elk Hunters Found Dead in Colorado Wilderness, No Signs of Trauma

Two 25-year-old elk hunters whose bodies were discovered last week in Colorado’s Rio Grande National Forest died after being struck by lightning, according to Conejos County Coroner Richard Martin, as reported by The New York Post.

The victims, identified as Andrew Porter of Asheville, North Carolina, and Ian Stasko of Salt Lake City, Utah, were reported missing after failing to return from a hunting trip in the Rio de los Pinos trailhead area.

Their bodies were recovered under a tree on September 19 following a week-long search.

‘Horrific’ mystery deaths of 2 hunters found ‘with no trauma’ finally solved https://t.co/JNyTtSmylt

— The US Sun (@TheSunUS) September 23, 2025

Martin told the Colorado Sun that both men had “slight burns” consistent with a lightning strike. “A slight burn is like if you take a match and stick it on your arm,” Martin said, noting there were only a few visible marks. He explained the deaths would have been immediate.

“That kind of death is just instant. It’s like you’re alive and now you’re not. Just that quick. Split second.”

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While full autopsy results are expected within eight weeks, Martin told People that he is confident the lightning strike was the cause. “I’m telling you, that’s what it was,” he said.

The men’s remains were located around 11 a.m. on September 19 by search and rescue teams conducting both air and ground sweeps. The discovery brought closure to families and friends who had been waiting for updates after the pair went missing.

Their last known contact was on September 11, when Porter shared his location through a satellite device with his fiancée, Bridget Murphy. The device later pinged from his car near the trailhead, prompting an intensive rescue operation that lasted several days.

Murphy confirmed the cause of death in a Facebook post, saying, “It is OFFICIAL, that a lightning strike to the ground took them in an instant. They didn’t do anything wrong, they didn’t feel fear or pain.”

She added that Porter had been trying to return to his car as storms moved into the area on September 12.

⚡️ #Colorado Hunting Tragedy

Andrew Porter & Ian Stasko, both 25, died from a lightning strike while elk hunting in Rio Grande National Forest

Found 6 days after going missing

Colorado sees 3–5 lightning deaths each year, often in high-elevation areas#altın #BalondeOro pic.twitter.com/0IeRCkREEp

— Eyes on the Globe (@eyes_globe) September 23, 2025

Murphy described Porter as an experienced outdoorsman who was simply “in the wrong spot at the wrong time.”

She wrote, “It may not have been legal yet, but he was my husband and partner. We have been together quite awhile, but lived together like a married couple for the past 3 years. I wish I had 30 more. I sure feel like a widow. I sure feel like my future is blank now.”

She emphasized that the two hunters were well-prepared and doing what they loved when tragedy struck. “This is a bizarre horrific act of nature. It could’ve happened anywhere, to anyone,” Murphy said.

The case remains officially under investigation pending autopsy reports, but local authorities and the coroner have confirmed preliminary findings of death by lightning strike.

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