NEED TO KNOW
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Officials have revealed what killed Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko, both 25, days after they were found dead on Sept. 18
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The friends were both experienced hunters and were on a hunting trip in the Rio Grande National Forest in southern Colorado when they disappeared
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A “massive search” was launched following their disappearance involving teams in the air, county and state crew members on the ground, as well as dog teams, drones and local volunteers
Authorities in Colorado have revealed that two hunters found dead in southern Colorado after a nearly weeklong search were killed by a lightning strike.
Preliminary findings reveal that Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko, both 25, died after being struck by lightning, Conejos County Coroner Richard Martin tells PEOPLE on Monday, Sept. 22, adding that their injuries were consistent with “a pretty intense electrical jolt.”
“They had a little bit of burnt marks like if you would take a match and strike it and then wait ’til it’s about out and then touch it to your arm, there was just a couple of little marks like that,” Martin says, adding he also noticed “a little bit of singed hair, but not very much.”
The full autopsy results detailing Stasko and Porter’s cause and manner of death will take about eight weeks to be released, but, Martin adds, “I’m telling you, that’s what it was.”
The two men, both experienced outdoorsmen, disappeared near the Colorado-New Mexico border in the San Juan Wilderness while elk hunting on Sept. 11.
Their last contact was made when Porter shared his location through a satellite device with his fiancée, Bridget Murphy, around 2:45 p.m., she previously told The Colorado Sun.
After the two friends “failed to check in with loved ones at a predetermined time,” sheriff’s office deputies arrived at the Rio De Los Pinos Trailhead two days later on Sept. 13, according to a news release obtained by PEOPLE.
Although their vehicle was located, the hunters weren’t anywhere in sight. Authorities also found “camping gear and backpacks,” inside, which was concerning as the area had been having “heavy rain and bad weather.”
A massive search was then launched, involving teams in the air, county and state crew members on the ground, as well as dog teams, drones and local volunteers.
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Speaking with The Colorado Sun, Murphy described both Porter and Stasko as “very prepared outdoorsmen,” but she acknowledged that their survival was dependent on a number of factors, including “if they were in sound mind, if they were disoriented or panicked, or if they were already hypothermic.”
Tragically, their bodies were found one day after the interview was published.
Martin previously told ABC affiliate KMGH that there were no visible injuries on the bodies, nor were there any “initial signs of foul play.”
On Thursday, Sept. 18, Andrew Porter’s aunt, Lynne Runkle, shared that their bodies had been recovered.
“It is with a broken heart and through tears that I give you this update. Andrew and Ian have both been found deceased,” Runkle wrote in an update on a GoFundMe page she created to help fund search and rescue efforts.
The same day, the Conejos County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that two men had been recovered from the Rio de Los Pinos Trailhead at approximately 11 a.m. local time after extensive search efforts.
“This collaborative effort reflects the strength of our community and the unwavering dedication to every volunteer and agency involved,” Crowther wrote in the release, noting that the investigation was ongoing.
Read the original article on People
