Seven members of a youth group hiking in Utah were taken to hospitals Thursday after lightning struck near them.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints youth group of Salina, Utah, was in eastern Sevier County around 1:45 p.m. when a light rain began.
Officials said the rainstorm left puddles of water before lightning struck, reports KUTV, an affiliate of CBS Salt Lake City.
“Approximately 50 youth felt the impact of the lightning,” Sevier County Sheriff Nathan Curtis said in a statement. He added that seven of the youths “had medical problems due to the electrocution.”
Two had severe symptoms and were flown by helicopter to Primary Children’s Hospital in Lehi, Utah. Five others were transported by ambulance to Sevier Valley Hospital in Richfield and Gunnison Valley Hospital in Gunnison, Curtis said.
None of the injuries were considered life-threatening, according to Curtis, who said the other hikers were returned to their families in Salina, 140 miles (220 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City.
