Two people injured by lightning strike

ANCHORAGE - Two people hiking in Anchorage's Arctic Valley were injured by lightning, according to the Anchorage Fire Department.

A 25-year-old man was knocked unconscious Tuesday night but managed to walk out of the foothills, accompanied by two firefighters.

Firefighters carried a 23-year-old woman to rescue vehicles in a ski area parking lot.

"His shoes were all blown out. He's got singed hair on his legs," said police Sgt. Mike Kerle. "He said he woke up and his girlfriend was 15 feet away."

Battalion chief Bridget Bushue said lightning apparently caught the couple unaware.

"It was a lighting strike," Bushue said. "I don't know if the lightning struck them directly or indirectly."

Names of the victims were not released.

Firefighters said the pair hiked to watch a storm blow in. Dark clouds were looming close over the peaks of the Chugach Mountains in the afternoon and the couple hiked to the ridge of a saddle near Rendezvous Peak.

At about 6:30 p.m., lightning struck.

The man woke up and spotted his companion 15 feet away. They were able to call for help.

Firefighters sent in a helicopter but it was not able to carry passengers. The craft instead hovered and guided a ground crew as members hiked to the saddle.

The going was tough, said fire department senior Capt. Robert St. Clair. Rescuers requested a helicopter to pick up the victims but Alaska State Troopers told firefighters the estimated time of arrival was about three hours because of gusting wind, he said.

Crews instead with the help of an ATV hauling gear crossed a creek twice and traversed rolling, sloped hills to get to the victims fast, he said. It took about 35 minutes to reach them.

"When we got there, they were hypothermic, shivering badly," St. Clair said. "We had them cuddle together."

The crew also gave them blankets and tried to ease their pain, he said.

The man headed down on his own and arrived in the lot first. As he approached the trail head, a streak of blood was visible across his brow and his shoes appeared melted. He said he was having trouble hearing. He had been standing on the ridge one minute and woke up on the ground with a cut on his head the next.

"I don't know what happened," he said.

The six firefighters carrying the woman reached the parking lot at about 9:30 p.m.

St. Clair said she was conscious and stable.