Autopsies, after an extensive search and recovery of the bodies of two young archery hunters in southern Colorado that drew national attention, revealed the two died from a lightning strike.<\/p>\n
Richard Martin, Conejos County coroner, confirmed to the Coloradoan on Sept. 22 the cause of death.<\/p>\n
The identifies of the two 25-year-olds, Andrew Porter, who is from Asheville, North Carolina, and Ian Stasko, who is from Salt Lake City, Utah, were previously released.<\/p>\n
An El Paso County coroner’s office spokesperson told the Coloradoan the autopsies were performed at its facility but that release of the information was up to the Conejos County coroner.<\/p>\n
“Absolutely, 100% sure it was a lightning strike and it wasn’t even a second that death was upon them,” Martin said.<\/p>\n
Colorado averages two fatalities and 12 injuries per year from lightning<\/a>, according to the National Weather Service.<\/p>\n Bridget Murphy, wrote on her Facebook account<\/a> Sept. 22 that her fiance\u00e9, Porter, and his friend Stasko, “Didn\u2019t do anything wrong, they didn\u2019t feel fear or pain. He was just trying to get back to the car as storms rolled in on Friday – September 12. It was out of everyone\u2019s hands, and I am so grateful we found them so they can be at peace. He was an experienced outdoorsman, who was in the wrong spot at the wrong time.”<\/p>\n Martin, who stated he’s been the coroner 20-some years, said identifying the death as a lightning strike was not easy.<\/p>\n “It wasn’t like there was an entry and exit point,” Martin said. “There were little marks and singed hair on both of them that helped determine the cause.”<\/p>\n Martin said the two were found lying on the ground dressed in camoflouge clothing under a large tree in an area not heavily wooded. He was not sure if the lightning hit the tree then the two hunters or directly hit the hunters.<\/p>\n He said the two hunters had on light jackets and boots, rain gear with them, along with a bow and binoculars.<\/p>\n “They were properly dressed, not necessarily to spend the night, but they could have and not had any trouble,” said Martin, who added a storm moved into the area Sept. 12. “It wasn\u2019t heavily wooded, just a very pleasant place to hunt but not with lighting around.”<\/p>\n A 9NEWS story <\/a>stated\u00a0GPS coordinates obtained from a Garmin InReach satellite communication device indicated movements of the two hunters between Sept. 7 and Sept 11.<\/p>\n The morning of Sept. 12 the two went hunting when around 4 p.m. in the immediate area where the two were found a storm blew in with heavy rain, lightning, strong wind gusts and temperatures quickly dropping into the 30s, according to 9NEWS Senior Meteorologist Chris Bianchi.<\/p>\n The two were elk hunting in the San Juan Wilderness just miles from the Colorado-New Mexico border when they were first reported missing Sept. 13 after last making contact with family members Sept. 11.<\/p>\n The Conejos County Sheriff’s Office previously reported<\/a> searchers found two unidentifed bodies, at 11 a.m. Sept. 18, later identified as Porter and Stasko. They were found 2 miles from the Rio de los Pinos Trailhead, which is 42 miles west of Antonito or 34 miles north of Chama, N.M.<\/p>\n